Rhobin Lee Courtright's Blog, page 23
July 4, 2011
28 Days to Publication
Learned today my editor from my previous books is editing Legend's Cipher. Leslie Hodges is an excellent editor and I'm as pleased as punch to know she is working on one of my stories again. She emailed me she'd have the edits by the end of the week. This is going much smoother than I assumed. Oh-oh, did I say that? The pessimist in me says I'm tempting fate. NO, No, no! I'm going to be positive! This process is going to go as smooth as silk.
I'm also going through the anthology to catch errors. It's embarrassing what I missed! However, I know this is very common. When you're writing your eye and mind are closely connected. When you reread something your eyes see what your mind thinks is there. Now with several months passed since I last saw the manuscript, I can see what is actually there. Now I can compare what Leslie catches with what I've caught and be fairly sure of a clean manuscript.
Taking off today to go to Traverse City, see the Cherry Festival and tonight's fireworks. Happy 4th of July!
I'm also going through the anthology to catch errors. It's embarrassing what I missed! However, I know this is very common. When you're writing your eye and mind are closely connected. When you reread something your eyes see what your mind thinks is there. Now with several months passed since I last saw the manuscript, I can see what is actually there. Now I can compare what Leslie catches with what I've caught and be fairly sure of a clean manuscript.
Taking off today to go to Traverse City, see the Cherry Festival and tonight's fireworks. Happy 4th of July!
July 1, 2011
32 Days to Publication
Once an author receives notification of a contract, there is usually a long period before they hear from an editor. I'm sure within the next three weeks I'll hear, but I'm not waiting. I've gone ahead and started proofing my manuscript yet again. It's always amazing to find the things I've overlooked.
On the other hand, promotion goes ahead. I've heard from the Wings representative about participating in author interviews so plan to get that taken care of ahead of time. Also have to make sure all my obligations for blog posts are scheduled ahead so I can concentrate on my manuscript when it comes.
On the other hand, promotion goes ahead. I've heard from the Wings representative about participating in author interviews so plan to get that taken care of ahead of time. Also have to make sure all my obligations for blog posts are scheduled ahead so I can concentrate on my manuscript when it comes.
June 24, 2011
37 Days to Publication -- the Cover
June 23, 2011
38 Days to Book's Release
Whew! Last night I sent electronically signed contract and all the other forms, including the 'promo' pieces:
A 25 word blog line (what's the catchiest short sentence you can come up with to gain a reader's interest for your book?). Mine? What would you do – spy on others so you could publicly betray their secrets, or expose a secret that could destroy you? What do you think?Wording for back cover and for website blurb (No more than three paragraphs, and I went with the same three paragraphs paraphrased from the story). Mine: Magic makes you different, makes others look on you with suspicion. Many think those having such strangeness are dangerous, threatening, and also somehow undeserving of such a 'gift.' What Bertok had not related when the bishop gave him this mission was his greatest, most buried secret--he possessed such an unnatural ability. Now he must use his magic against others, expose them, and hope he would not be caught.And a book excerpt of no more than 3 pages for the website. Too much information to give what I sent in here.
Sounds easy doesn't it? I find it's one of the hardest parts of book management, harder than writing the manuscript, and I have some marketing background! These are the words that catch a reader's interest. I've made mistakes in this venue before. The promo pieces done yesterday were all selected in a matter of hours and reworked for what I thought presented this work best. I may have to revisit these words as this book goes through edits. Luckily, my publisher knows I'm in a crunch. I think they believe I can pull this off, and I know they will work with my changes up to the last minute. I hate last minutes and I'm sure they do to, so any changes will be completed long before last minute.
Today I mailed in the printed copies of the contract. Now I'm going to search for images to use on my cover.
Wings lets me do my own covers, which I enjoy doing, and which I think make my stories stand out as part of a group and mine. What do you think? Are my covers up to par or should I let a cover artist do them? I have to say here, my other two publishers don't allow authors to do their covers because they like a specific look for their publishing houses, but I'm an extremely pleased with the results.
With all this going on, I can also tell I'll be doing a lot of walking to relieve stress.
A 25 word blog line (what's the catchiest short sentence you can come up with to gain a reader's interest for your book?). Mine? What would you do – spy on others so you could publicly betray their secrets, or expose a secret that could destroy you? What do you think?Wording for back cover and for website blurb (No more than three paragraphs, and I went with the same three paragraphs paraphrased from the story). Mine: Magic makes you different, makes others look on you with suspicion. Many think those having such strangeness are dangerous, threatening, and also somehow undeserving of such a 'gift.' What Bertok had not related when the bishop gave him this mission was his greatest, most buried secret--he possessed such an unnatural ability. Now he must use his magic against others, expose them, and hope he would not be caught.And a book excerpt of no more than 3 pages for the website. Too much information to give what I sent in here.
Sounds easy doesn't it? I find it's one of the hardest parts of book management, harder than writing the manuscript, and I have some marketing background! These are the words that catch a reader's interest. I've made mistakes in this venue before. The promo pieces done yesterday were all selected in a matter of hours and reworked for what I thought presented this work best. I may have to revisit these words as this book goes through edits. Luckily, my publisher knows I'm in a crunch. I think they believe I can pull this off, and I know they will work with my changes up to the last minute. I hate last minutes and I'm sure they do to, so any changes will be completed long before last minute.
Today I mailed in the printed copies of the contract. Now I'm going to search for images to use on my cover.
Wings lets me do my own covers, which I enjoy doing, and which I think make my stories stand out as part of a group and mine. What do you think? Are my covers up to par or should I let a cover artist do them? I have to say here, my other two publishers don't allow authors to do their covers because they like a specific look for their publishing houses, but I'm an extremely pleased with the results.
With all this going on, I can also tell I'll be doing a lot of walking to relieve stress.
June 22, 2011
Very Busy July Coming Up!
I received and signed contracts today from Wings Press for
Legend's Cipher
, a fantasy anthology set the Aegis World of my other stories: Magic Aegis, Change and Acceptance. Publication date -- August 1, 2011. That's right, thirty nine days from now. They had am empty slot and Legend's Cipher slid into it. Busy, busy month ahead. I'll make posts of how this progresses. I've never done editing and cover in this short a time frame. I'll be telling myself: I can do this... I can do this... I can do this...
June 15, 2011
World Building at MuseItUp Blog
Today I'm giving a six post blog workshop on world building at MuseItUp Publishing Blog. Check it out!
June 3, 2011
Witch World
WITCH WORLD
Fantasy is timeless because the worlds created have their own reality. It is escapism at its best.
This was the first volume of the Witch World series that launched several generations of teen and pre-teen readers into the genre of fantasy fiction. And yes, I was one of those teens. There were other fantasy novels around, but many of those were difficult to read, or aimed at adult audiences.
Witch World stories were classified as 'juveniles' because they didn't contain graphic sex, objectionable language or abusive violence, and they often revolved around coming-of-age journeys. However, these novels have much broader appeal. I've reread my copies through the years with as much enjoyment as the first time.
Simone Tregarth is a man marked for death in the mid-20th century. The ex-colonel fell afoul of what seems to be a crime organization. Norton leaves this a little nebulous because it doesn't matter except that Tregarth is a hunted man, a former warrior seeking escape. However, Norton points out that Tregarth is of ancient Cornish descent, invoking times of King Arthur and Celtic magic. A stranger who considers himself a scientist, an explorer and experimenter promises Tregarth escape. He leads Tregarth to the Seige Periolous, a stone as old as Stonehenge, rumored to have the ability to "judge a man, determine his worth, and then deliver him to his fate." At dawn, the Seige Periolous delivers Tregarth to Witch World, a journey with no return.
Witch World does not have the technology of Tregarth's home world, but magic is abundant. There are witches, magic, telepathy, and an ongoing war between good and evil.
His first act in this strange land saves the life of a witch, who remains unnamed until the last page. She takes him to Estcarp, the "threatened, perhaps doomed" home of the witches. Of course, Tregarth doesn't speak the language, giving the reader an excellent opportunity to learn along with him. Here we meet witches, who only keep their power while virginal, and the dwarf guardsman Koris the Misshapen. There are other races in this world: the men called Falconers; the seafarering Sulcarmen, and about the evil coming from the lands of Karsten and Alizon. We also learn of the gates, portals that deliver people from other times and places, the price of magic, and of choices between right and wrong. WITCH WORLD serves as the reader's gate to numerous other books in this amazing, well-crafter world.
The thirty-two books of the Witch World are available used from on-line booksellers, but I've discovered them to few and far between in local used bookstores. Probably a testament to readers loving their books so much they don't want to part with them.
Sadly, Andre Norton died in 2005 at the age of 94. The list of her published books displays her impressive accomplishment. For more about her writing go to: http://www.andre-norton.org/books/ind....
Witch World by Andre Norton, Copyright 1963, many editions. Mine is from ACE Science Fiction.
ISBN: Changes with publisher.
Fantasy is timeless because the worlds created have their own reality. It is escapism at its best.
This was the first volume of the Witch World series that launched several generations of teen and pre-teen readers into the genre of fantasy fiction. And yes, I was one of those teens. There were other fantasy novels around, but many of those were difficult to read, or aimed at adult audiences.
Witch World stories were classified as 'juveniles' because they didn't contain graphic sex, objectionable language or abusive violence, and they often revolved around coming-of-age journeys. However, these novels have much broader appeal. I've reread my copies through the years with as much enjoyment as the first time.
Simone Tregarth is a man marked for death in the mid-20th century. The ex-colonel fell afoul of what seems to be a crime organization. Norton leaves this a little nebulous because it doesn't matter except that Tregarth is a hunted man, a former warrior seeking escape. However, Norton points out that Tregarth is of ancient Cornish descent, invoking times of King Arthur and Celtic magic. A stranger who considers himself a scientist, an explorer and experimenter promises Tregarth escape. He leads Tregarth to the Seige Periolous, a stone as old as Stonehenge, rumored to have the ability to "judge a man, determine his worth, and then deliver him to his fate." At dawn, the Seige Periolous delivers Tregarth to Witch World, a journey with no return.
Witch World does not have the technology of Tregarth's home world, but magic is abundant. There are witches, magic, telepathy, and an ongoing war between good and evil.
His first act in this strange land saves the life of a witch, who remains unnamed until the last page. She takes him to Estcarp, the "threatened, perhaps doomed" home of the witches. Of course, Tregarth doesn't speak the language, giving the reader an excellent opportunity to learn along with him. Here we meet witches, who only keep their power while virginal, and the dwarf guardsman Koris the Misshapen. There are other races in this world: the men called Falconers; the seafarering Sulcarmen, and about the evil coming from the lands of Karsten and Alizon. We also learn of the gates, portals that deliver people from other times and places, the price of magic, and of choices between right and wrong. WITCH WORLD serves as the reader's gate to numerous other books in this amazing, well-crafter world.
The thirty-two books of the Witch World are available used from on-line booksellers, but I've discovered them to few and far between in local used bookstores. Probably a testament to readers loving their books so much they don't want to part with them.
Sadly, Andre Norton died in 2005 at the age of 94. The list of her published books displays her impressive accomplishment. For more about her writing go to: http://www.andre-norton.org/books/ind....
Witch World by Andre Norton, Copyright 1963, many editions. Mine is from ACE Science Fiction.
ISBN: Changes with publisher.
May 30, 2011
MuseItUp Blog Writing Conference
Have you ever wanted to learn to write, or improve your writing? Beginning tomorrow, MuseItUp Publishing, on their blog, will host a free writing conference. Each day during the month of June a new topic will be considered. So visit everyday! I will be sharing information on how to create a new world setting for your prospective novel on June 15.
May 21, 2011
Wine!
Today I'm blogging at Night Writers about my new adventure -- making dandelion wine!
And I'm blogging on The Writer's Vineyard on the perfect wine to accompany a mystery.
And I'm blogging on The Writer's Vineyard on the perfect wine to accompany a mystery.
May 17, 2011
SALE!
Woo-Hoo! To celebrate Victoria Day, my Canadian press Champagne Books is offering 50% off on all their ebooks, May 17- May 24, 2011 with coupon code: vicday50
[image error] You can get a copy of my romantic suspense novel Stone House Farm for half price!
[image error] You can get a copy of my romantic suspense novel Stone House Farm for half price!
![[image error]](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qEouF6_0TXY/S7Uu3cuNyVI/AAAAAAAABww/NBiFcdceVSc/s1600/coverstonehousefarm_web.jpg){kind=link}