S.W. Clemens's Blog, page 5
July 1, 2017
Storytelling
Taped to the top of my computer monitor are the words: “Storytelling and writing are actually two entirely different skill sets.” I think that quote is attributable to K.M. Weiland. It’s what makes writing a novel so difficult for me, and so seemingly easy for James Patterson. He comes up with so many plots so […]
June 29, 2017
Gwendy’s Button Box
I just finished reading Gwendy’s Button Box. If you’re a slow reader, this novella by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar will provide an evening of good entertainment. It’s a fascinating book from an author’s perspective, because it hooks the reader with a slightly creepy instigator and a totem, or magical object, that in the end […]
June 13, 2017
Books Read — First Half of 2017
Of the 25 books I’ve read so far this year, most were at least entertaining, though a few were disappointing given the authors or the reviews. My favorites have been Daphne du Maurier’s haunting My Cousin Rachel; Nora Roberts’ thriller The Witness; Pat Barker’s thoughtful and beautifully written Regeneration; and Alexander McCall Smith’s My Italian […]
Books Read ��� First Half of 2017
Of the 25 books I’ve read so far this year, most were at least entertaining, though a few were disappointing given the authors or the reviews. My favorites have been Daphne du Maurier’s haunting My Cousin Rachel; Nora Roberts’ thriller The Witness; Pat Barker’s thoughtful and beautifully written Regeneration; and Alexander McCall Smith’s My Italian […]
April 4, 2017
The Tale of Two Covers
My latest novel, EVELYN MARSH, launched in March. A week after its launch Kindle Press elected to design a new cover for the ebook edition. The paperback edition retains the original cover. I'm interested in how readers react to the new versus old covers. You can see both of them here:
http://www.swclemens.com/a-new-cover-...
The first thing a potential reader sees is the cover art, followed by the title. Sometimes the title is enough to arouse curiosity, even if it isn't illustrative of the story. For example:
Tender is the Night
The Sound and the Fury
For Whom the Bell Tolls
The Grapes of Wrath
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
These titles are themselves evocative. But it can also work the other way. Sometimes a title limits a book's appeal. Sometimes as an author you don't choose the title; the title chooses you and you're stuck with it.
The cover art, on the other hand, must give the reader a hint at the tone of a book, or the genre. So I'm curious as to your opinion on the two EVELYN MARSH covers. Your comments would be most welcome.
http://www.swclemens.com/a-new-cover-...
The first thing a potential reader sees is the cover art, followed by the title. Sometimes the title is enough to arouse curiosity, even if it isn't illustrative of the story. For example:
Tender is the Night
The Sound and the Fury
For Whom the Bell Tolls
The Grapes of Wrath
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
These titles are themselves evocative. But it can also work the other way. Sometimes a title limits a book's appeal. Sometimes as an author you don't choose the title; the title chooses you and you're stuck with it.
The cover art, on the other hand, must give the reader a hint at the tone of a book, or the genre. So I'm curious as to your opinion on the two EVELYN MARSH covers. Your comments would be most welcome.
March 20, 2017
You Can’t Please Everyone, So Ya Gotta Please Yourself
“But it’s all right now, I learned my lesson well.��You see, ya can’t please everyone, so ya got to please yourself” ��� Garden Party, Rick Nelson One of the things you learn early on in the fiction game is that you need to lose your ego, because it’s going to be tromped on. You have […]
All Kindle Scout Winners on Sale
In celebration of their��second anniversary, Kindle Press is putting all��Kindle Scout winning books on sale for 99c through April 3rd, 2017 (you can find them all at KindleScout.amazon.com). Evelyn Marsh has only been out a week. It normally sells for a modest $2.99. I’m anxious to see how the 99c sale price will affect the […]
March 18, 2017
A New Cover for Evelyn Marsh
Evelyn Marsh launched this week. In preparation for Kindle Press’s 2nd anniversary sale, they’ve revamped my cover. The old cover, on the left, had a noir feel to it, due to the old house, font etc., but it didn’t tell the reader much about the content. The new cover has a more modern feel, though […]
November 28, 2016
Evelyn Marsh ��� Kindle Scout Winner
Evelyn Marsh is a Kindle Scout winner! As a Kindle Scout selection, Kindle Press has acquired the ebook and audible rights and will��promote the book on Amazon.com. It’s currently undergoing editorial review and should be available around��March, 2017.
October 27, 2016
EVELYN MARSH
In June I wrote a blog entry regarding Evelyn Marsh.Let me tell you a little about Evelyn. The concept arose a couple of years ago when my wife and I were vacationing in Santa Barbara. I was getting toward the end of writing��Time Management: a novel.��I said I’d kind of like to write a mystery, […]
