S.L. Viehl's Blog, page 115
September 1, 2013
Comments Catchup Day
See you in comments.
August 31, 2013
SPAMmed Again
E-mail to the friends/family/reader account, posted without permission (you SPAM me, you take your chances):
Subject: 1st Page On Google!!!
Date: 8/28/2013 3:32:04 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time
From: [kindness duct tape]
Reply To:
To: Send IM to: LynnViehlLynnViehl@aol.com
Hi, LynnViehl@aol.com
Hi, Clueless@WhereTheHeckIsThat.com.
I am [kindness duct tape], Online SEO Consultant.
Uh-huh. Do you know that your given name is pretty close to a very rude English word for booty, and I'm not talking about the pirate variety?
As per the trends in your industry – over 80% of people search for your products/services online and buy the same.
Really? 80% of people search for and want to buy my books? Wow, I'd better call my editor; we're going to need a bigger first print run.
These rankings also influence other channels of sales as well.
Sure. Just think of what all my sales will do for the bookmark and booklight industries. Not to mention the papercut-size bandaid people.
It would be recommended if you go for search engine optimization (SEO)
Oh, so that's what SEO means. I was thinking you were a trip planner for South Korea but you were tired and didn't want to type out Seoul. So search engines, yeah. I am on the first page on Google for a lot of writing-related stuff, you know: novel outlininging, freeware for writers, that sort of thing. Would love to be on the first Google page for things like Authors with Normal Hair and Writers Who Can River Dance. But then I'd have to get a hair cut and take Irish stepdancing lessons from Michael Flatley, and then we'd probably have all kinds of creative differences over whether or not I should wear a skirt that covers my knee brace . . . no, on second thought, let's just stick with the writing stuff.
for your site which would increase your web visibility and generate better prospects traffic to your website.
I'm already more visible on the web than I ever wanted to be, and . . . hey, are you insulting my visitors?
There is a simple equation that is applicable to the online world.
Don't change the subject, dude. My visitors may not exactly be rolling in cash, but they're great prospects -- the best prospects, in fact. Not one of them would ever get published, go platinum and pretend they don't know me and/or badmouth my books. Just you watch.
Ethical SEO -> Better Traffic -> Higher Sales -> Higher Revenue
Maybe I don't want higher sales. Maybe what I really want is some cheesecake. You know, the really dense delicious New York kind of cheesecake? With strawberries and a big hot steaming cup of Chai, in front of a roaring fireplace with my guy to feed it to me, while he's weaing that really old pair of old jeans with the rip across the right thigh, and that white button-down shirt . . . sigh. Uh, the higher sales? Not so much.
Just wondering, if you would be interested improving the position of your website for the key terms your clients would be using to search your services.
Services here are provided for free, friend. If they want free, they'll find me.
In case you require any additional information, it shall be our pleasure to furnish the same. No obligations. Do let me know if you are interested and I would be happy to give you details about our services, price list and offers.
Yeah, yeah, same here.
I look forward of your reply.
And you might want to check for space in that English 102 class. Just saying.
Subject: 1st Page On Google!!!
Date: 8/28/2013 3:32:04 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time
From: [kindness duct tape]
Reply To:
To: Send IM to: LynnViehlLynnViehl@aol.com
Hi, LynnViehl@aol.com
Hi, Clueless@WhereTheHeckIsThat.com.
I am [kindness duct tape], Online SEO Consultant.
Uh-huh. Do you know that your given name is pretty close to a very rude English word for booty, and I'm not talking about the pirate variety?
As per the trends in your industry – over 80% of people search for your products/services online and buy the same.
Really? 80% of people search for and want to buy my books? Wow, I'd better call my editor; we're going to need a bigger first print run.
These rankings also influence other channels of sales as well.
Sure. Just think of what all my sales will do for the bookmark and booklight industries. Not to mention the papercut-size bandaid people.
It would be recommended if you go for search engine optimization (SEO)
Oh, so that's what SEO means. I was thinking you were a trip planner for South Korea but you were tired and didn't want to type out Seoul. So search engines, yeah. I am on the first page on Google for a lot of writing-related stuff, you know: novel outlininging, freeware for writers, that sort of thing. Would love to be on the first Google page for things like Authors with Normal Hair and Writers Who Can River Dance. But then I'd have to get a hair cut and take Irish stepdancing lessons from Michael Flatley, and then we'd probably have all kinds of creative differences over whether or not I should wear a skirt that covers my knee brace . . . no, on second thought, let's just stick with the writing stuff.
for your site which would increase your web visibility and generate better prospects traffic to your website.
I'm already more visible on the web than I ever wanted to be, and . . . hey, are you insulting my visitors?
There is a simple equation that is applicable to the online world.
Don't change the subject, dude. My visitors may not exactly be rolling in cash, but they're great prospects -- the best prospects, in fact. Not one of them would ever get published, go platinum and pretend they don't know me and/or badmouth my books. Just you watch.
Ethical SEO -> Better Traffic -> Higher Sales -> Higher Revenue
Maybe I don't want higher sales. Maybe what I really want is some cheesecake. You know, the really dense delicious New York kind of cheesecake? With strawberries and a big hot steaming cup of Chai, in front of a roaring fireplace with my guy to feed it to me, while he's weaing that really old pair of old jeans with the rip across the right thigh, and that white button-down shirt . . . sigh. Uh, the higher sales? Not so much.
Just wondering, if you would be interested improving the position of your website for the key terms your clients would be using to search your services.
Services here are provided for free, friend. If they want free, they'll find me.
In case you require any additional information, it shall be our pleasure to furnish the same. No obligations. Do let me know if you are interested and I would be happy to give you details about our services, price list and offers.
Yeah, yeah, same here.
I look forward of your reply.
And you might want to check for space in that English 102 class. Just saying.
August 29, 2013
Driven to Write
Everyone who over the years has stated that you can't write while you're driving may now apologize:
iQ font - When driving becomes writing / Full making of from Tom Galle on Vimeo.
Recycling Books (in 1892)
One of my latest research acquisitions is an American lady's scrapbook dated 1892. If the price is right I'll buy something like this sight unseen, which was the case this time. This is also why I didn't know the lady had recycled a hardcover to serve as her scrapbook base:
A hundred and twenty-one years ago Florence Champlain decided to recycle a copy of Lockwood's Directory from 1887-1888, and began storing interesting bits in it. She did this (probably with flour paste) with about 100 newspaper articles, each one very precisely cut and fitted to each side of the directory's pages:
To keep the book from becoming overstuffed Florence cut out about half the pages, leaving behind just enough of the page to keep the binding intact.
Some of the pages in the very back were left uncovered, and contain some very cool 19th century advertising:
It appears that the scrapbook was preserved (and possibly added to) by at least two more family members; I haven't yet had time to date all the articles saved in it. The majority appear to be from the turn of the century, however, so I think Florence deserves most of the credit. There are at least a dozen obituaries of important folks including great writers (Victor Hugo), composers (Gounod) and poets (Tennyson), an interview with Tolstoy's widow and intimate profiles on the lives of men like George Washington, Edgar Allen Poe and James Fenimore Cooper. One article wrestles with the debate over divorce in America; another insists most "great" women never marry because no woman can sustain a career, a home and a family (ha.)
Along with newspaper articles Florence saved bits of poetry and humor, scholarly pieces on things like the study of heraldry and what sort of weapons were used in warfare before the invention of gunpowder. A friendly look at the life of the Czar of Russia, his wife and family takes up five pages, and there's a wonderful piece on the house in which Shakespeare was born. About half the articles in the scrapbook focus on writers, poets or books, reminding me of how well-read most people were in the 19th century (no radio, TV or movies for these folks.)
What Florence created with the scrapbook was not only a collection of articles she thought interesting or important, she opened a lovely little window into late 19th century America, and through it I can see exactly what she and her contemporaries were reading in the papers. As way-back machines go, this one is pretty fantastic.
To find antique scrapbooks like this one, check listings on eBay or Etsy, or do a search for rare booksellers online.
A hundred and twenty-one years ago Florence Champlain decided to recycle a copy of Lockwood's Directory from 1887-1888, and began storing interesting bits in it. She did this (probably with flour paste) with about 100 newspaper articles, each one very precisely cut and fitted to each side of the directory's pages:
To keep the book from becoming overstuffed Florence cut out about half the pages, leaving behind just enough of the page to keep the binding intact.
Some of the pages in the very back were left uncovered, and contain some very cool 19th century advertising:
It appears that the scrapbook was preserved (and possibly added to) by at least two more family members; I haven't yet had time to date all the articles saved in it. The majority appear to be from the turn of the century, however, so I think Florence deserves most of the credit. There are at least a dozen obituaries of important folks including great writers (Victor Hugo), composers (Gounod) and poets (Tennyson), an interview with Tolstoy's widow and intimate profiles on the lives of men like George Washington, Edgar Allen Poe and James Fenimore Cooper. One article wrestles with the debate over divorce in America; another insists most "great" women never marry because no woman can sustain a career, a home and a family (ha.)
Along with newspaper articles Florence saved bits of poetry and humor, scholarly pieces on things like the study of heraldry and what sort of weapons were used in warfare before the invention of gunpowder. A friendly look at the life of the Czar of Russia, his wife and family takes up five pages, and there's a wonderful piece on the house in which Shakespeare was born. About half the articles in the scrapbook focus on writers, poets or books, reminding me of how well-read most people were in the 19th century (no radio, TV or movies for these folks.)
What Florence created with the scrapbook was not only a collection of articles she thought interesting or important, she opened a lovely little window into late 19th century America, and through it I can see exactly what she and her contemporaries were reading in the papers. As way-back machines go, this one is pretty fantastic.
To find antique scrapbooks like this one, check listings on eBay or Etsy, or do a search for rare booksellers online.
August 28, 2013
Create Once, Publish Everywhere
I have to bail on you guys today to deal with some work offline. I know, I'm all work and no play lately, but there you go.
So that your stop here was not a complete waste, I direct you to Publishing app set to make headlines , an article by Brisbane reporter/blogger Katherine Feeney, about a new direction in digital publishing by Australian company Liquid State. Their soon-to-launch app will convert "print-ready content to mobile and tablet layouts with just five clicks." If that works, we may be saying good-bye to the long and laborious porcess of converting text to all the various formats for digital self-publishing -- evidently this app will do all that for you.
So that your stop here was not a complete waste, I direct you to Publishing app set to make headlines , an article by Brisbane reporter/blogger Katherine Feeney, about a new direction in digital publishing by Australian company Liquid State. Their soon-to-launch app will convert "print-ready content to mobile and tablet layouts with just five clicks." If that works, we may be saying good-bye to the long and laborious porcess of converting text to all the various formats for digital self-publishing -- evidently this app will do all that for you.
August 27, 2013
German Edition Cover Art
This one is for the German edition of Dreamveil, my second Kyndred novel, which will be coming out next Spring. I've never had an orange and green cover before this, and since I grew up in the tropics those two are one of my favorite color combinations, so I'm quite pleased.
August 26, 2013
Sub Ops Ten
Ten Things About Submission Opportunities
Birkensnake doesn't want poetry, but they are looking for "stories that sustain themselves over more than one or two pages. We hope for strong inhuman voices. We are weary of stories that present luminous dialogues between men and women. We hope for less luminous dialogue. More biology. More necrology. Holes that are really tunnels. Healthy mutants." Length: up to 20K. Payment: "at least 1¢/word" according to Ralan. Query on reprints, electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details.
Australian publisher Cohesion Press has an open call for Snafu, an anthology of military horror: "SNAFU will be an anthology of original military horror novellas and short stories. Bioweapons unleashed, mutations, ancient species unearthed in lost caverns deep within the earth… and the soldiers who fight them. You get the drift? There will be approximately 60,000 words taken up with novellas by the solicited authors, so we are looking for three or four original short stories via the submission process to fill the rest of the wordcount up to about 80,000." Length: 3-7K; Payment: 3¢/word, no reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Submission period: September 1, 2013 until December 1, 2013.
Cohesion Press is also open to book-length submissions, and their current reading period is open until October 2nd, 2013; see regular submission guidelines here.
Clarkesworld magazine has an open call out for submissions for Upgraded, an "original science fiction anthology of cyborg stories edited by a cyborg." [I'd probably query on exactly what that means, folks.] What they want to see: "Obvious Requirement: Cyborgs or cyborg-related issues must play a role in the story. Feel free to explore this theme as widely as you like. Have fun with it and keep in mind that not all cyborgs need to be human." Length: 1-8K; Payment: "Seven cents per word", no reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Tentative deadline: September 15th, 2013.
Garden State Speculative Fiction Writers is holding their annual short story contest; this one requires a $7.50 entry fee which doesn't make me happy but it's not as bad as some others. Their theme this year is "Storm of the Century", and their contest guidelines are available by .pdf here. Also, entry deadline is August 31st, so if you're interested, hop to it.
Hellfire Publishing is looking for "most well written fiction and non-fiction. At this time we are NOT accepting, Children’s books, no multi-author anthologies, collections or poetry. We are avidly looking for novels—in the following genres and all subgenres: Romance, Horror, Sci-fi, and Stories that are intended to be a part of a series." Length: "Between 20,000 to 100,000 words. Stories must be 60,000 words to be considered for print. No exceptions." Payment: "Ten percent (10%) for the first 10,000 print copies, (15%) fifteen percent from 10,001 to 20,000, print books sold the figure is bumped up to twenty percent (20%) after 20, 0001 print books sold and up. Multiple-Author books will split the above royalty percentages equally." No reprints, query first via electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details.
IFWG Publishing has a new fiction contest going: "Stories must be written with an emphasis on the speculative fiction genres (horror, science fiction and fantasy). Note that the judges will be looking for fresh, character-centric stories with depth of skill in theme and plot construction. Zombies, vampires, elves, hobbits, orcs, are unlikely to get past round one." Length: 1-3K; Prizes: "The winner of the Contest will receive $100US cash prize. Second place will get $50US and third place $25US." No reprints, electronic submissions only, see contest page for more details. Deadline: October 31st, 2013.
E-zine NewMyths.com publishes "speculative fiction of every stripe except graphic horror. We like each issue to have an eclectic variety of stories: funny, frightening, hard and soft sci-fi, adventure, thoughtful, etc. Every issue includes at least one nonfiction piece dealing with some aspect of science, myth, folklore, or literature as it relates to speculative fiction, usually of the well-researched essay variety rather than opinion or editorial. Speculative poetry is welcome. We tend to receive a lot of free verse and not enough "form" poetry. We also buy one piece of artwork per issue, and occasionally commission one." Length: up to 10K; Payment: $50.00 fiction or nonfiction, $20.00 flash or poetry. No reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.
There's an open call for Strength from Within, a charity-drive anthology: "Recovery from addiction requires strength, and through strength can come recovery. But not all strengths are the same, nor are all addictions. Strength From Within aims to examine addiction and recovery through the lens of fantasy. With fifteen stories of bravery, strength and resilience in the face of addiction and recovery, this anthology showcases established authors as well as up and coming talent." As for the charity aspects: "All profits are to go to Asbury House. The support from this project will go to give Asbury House a home in Fort Collins, CO and give dozens of women the space to learn their strengths and build on them to recover." What they want to see: "Original material, no reprints will be accepted. Do not use non-original characters and/or copyrighted characters. Romance is fine, erotica is inappropriate for the anthology. No rape, no excessive violence." Length: "2-6K, query for longer"; Payment: "$25 per story", no reprints, electronic submissions only. Deadline: "October 31st, or until filled."
World Weaver Press has changed their annual reading periods for novel and story queries; see updates for their 2014 schedule here.
All of the above were found among the marvelous market listings at Ralan.com
Birkensnake doesn't want poetry, but they are looking for "stories that sustain themselves over more than one or two pages. We hope for strong inhuman voices. We are weary of stories that present luminous dialogues between men and women. We hope for less luminous dialogue. More biology. More necrology. Holes that are really tunnels. Healthy mutants." Length: up to 20K. Payment: "at least 1¢/word" according to Ralan. Query on reprints, electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details.
Australian publisher Cohesion Press has an open call for Snafu, an anthology of military horror: "SNAFU will be an anthology of original military horror novellas and short stories. Bioweapons unleashed, mutations, ancient species unearthed in lost caverns deep within the earth… and the soldiers who fight them. You get the drift? There will be approximately 60,000 words taken up with novellas by the solicited authors, so we are looking for three or four original short stories via the submission process to fill the rest of the wordcount up to about 80,000." Length: 3-7K; Payment: 3¢/word, no reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Submission period: September 1, 2013 until December 1, 2013.
Cohesion Press is also open to book-length submissions, and their current reading period is open until October 2nd, 2013; see regular submission guidelines here.
Clarkesworld magazine has an open call out for submissions for Upgraded, an "original science fiction anthology of cyborg stories edited by a cyborg." [I'd probably query on exactly what that means, folks.] What they want to see: "Obvious Requirement: Cyborgs or cyborg-related issues must play a role in the story. Feel free to explore this theme as widely as you like. Have fun with it and keep in mind that not all cyborgs need to be human." Length: 1-8K; Payment: "Seven cents per word", no reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Tentative deadline: September 15th, 2013.
Garden State Speculative Fiction Writers is holding their annual short story contest; this one requires a $7.50 entry fee which doesn't make me happy but it's not as bad as some others. Their theme this year is "Storm of the Century", and their contest guidelines are available by .pdf here. Also, entry deadline is August 31st, so if you're interested, hop to it.
Hellfire Publishing is looking for "most well written fiction and non-fiction. At this time we are NOT accepting, Children’s books, no multi-author anthologies, collections or poetry. We are avidly looking for novels—in the following genres and all subgenres: Romance, Horror, Sci-fi, and Stories that are intended to be a part of a series." Length: "Between 20,000 to 100,000 words. Stories must be 60,000 words to be considered for print. No exceptions." Payment: "Ten percent (10%) for the first 10,000 print copies, (15%) fifteen percent from 10,001 to 20,000, print books sold the figure is bumped up to twenty percent (20%) after 20, 0001 print books sold and up. Multiple-Author books will split the above royalty percentages equally." No reprints, query first via electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details.
IFWG Publishing has a new fiction contest going: "Stories must be written with an emphasis on the speculative fiction genres (horror, science fiction and fantasy). Note that the judges will be looking for fresh, character-centric stories with depth of skill in theme and plot construction. Zombies, vampires, elves, hobbits, orcs, are unlikely to get past round one." Length: 1-3K; Prizes: "The winner of the Contest will receive $100US cash prize. Second place will get $50US and third place $25US." No reprints, electronic submissions only, see contest page for more details. Deadline: October 31st, 2013.
E-zine NewMyths.com publishes "speculative fiction of every stripe except graphic horror. We like each issue to have an eclectic variety of stories: funny, frightening, hard and soft sci-fi, adventure, thoughtful, etc. Every issue includes at least one nonfiction piece dealing with some aspect of science, myth, folklore, or literature as it relates to speculative fiction, usually of the well-researched essay variety rather than opinion or editorial. Speculative poetry is welcome. We tend to receive a lot of free verse and not enough "form" poetry. We also buy one piece of artwork per issue, and occasionally commission one." Length: up to 10K; Payment: $50.00 fiction or nonfiction, $20.00 flash or poetry. No reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.
There's an open call for Strength from Within, a charity-drive anthology: "Recovery from addiction requires strength, and through strength can come recovery. But not all strengths are the same, nor are all addictions. Strength From Within aims to examine addiction and recovery through the lens of fantasy. With fifteen stories of bravery, strength and resilience in the face of addiction and recovery, this anthology showcases established authors as well as up and coming talent." As for the charity aspects: "All profits are to go to Asbury House. The support from this project will go to give Asbury House a home in Fort Collins, CO and give dozens of women the space to learn their strengths and build on them to recover." What they want to see: "Original material, no reprints will be accepted. Do not use non-original characters and/or copyrighted characters. Romance is fine, erotica is inappropriate for the anthology. No rape, no excessive violence." Length: "2-6K, query for longer"; Payment: "$25 per story", no reprints, electronic submissions only. Deadline: "October 31st, or until filled."
World Weaver Press has changed their annual reading periods for novel and story queries; see updates for their 2014 schedule here.
All of the above were found among the marvelous market listings at Ralan.com
August 25, 2013
Comments Catchup Day
See you in comments.
August 24, 2013
NaNoWriMo 2013
Some folks have asked what I'll be doing for National Novel Writing Month this year. While my annual NaNoWriMo calendar reminder went off as scheduled on July 31st, I've been so busy with the new series launch I haven't yet decided. Also, a lot depends on how stacked my winter writing schedule will be. If I don't join in myself, I will definitely provide whatever support I can here on the blog for those of you who will be writing a novel in November.
Will you be taking part in NaNoWriMo 2013? Let us know your plans in comments.
August 22, 2013
The Doing vs. The Talking
Andy Gilmore is an interesting artist; he connects with patterns and nature in some of the same ways I do with words and story. He also is more interested in the doing than the talking about it, which struck a chord with me (narrated and with background music, for those of you at work):
Ghostly International presents Andy Gilmore from Ghostly International on Vimeo.
S.L. Viehl's Blog
- S.L. Viehl's profile
- 224 followers
S.L. Viehl isn't a Goodreads Author
(yet),
but they
do have a blog,
so here are some recent posts imported from
their feed.
