Romarin Demetri's Blog, page 10

Why bloggers should vet “self-published” authors instead of discriminating against them

Bloggers claiming to be aficionados, an authority, or encompass all things in a genre, really need to step into the twenty-first century, and understand how New York, New York, and the publishing industry work, and why many self-published authors can offer professional products, and professional disposition. By vetting the quality of the author with a few quick requirements or questions, you can find massive amounts of quality work in the genre of your expertise. If you love reading and love blogging, and love a certain genre enough to start a blog, don’t give up on self-pub authors so easily.

For those of you who don’t understand why not every book gets picked up by a publishing house (who are pitched the book by a literary agent–meaning authors can’t ask a publishing house to represent their books themselves), understand that it is a subjective process that varies to an incredible degree. The first thing that works out oddly is: You can’t get your book published unless you have an agent, and you can’t get an agent unless you’ve been published before. The second thing authors, bloggers, and anyone else who knows about books needs to understand, is the nature of the literary agent. When you introduce your book they are looking to make an income by promoting your book. Please remember that this is their job, and living in NYC isn’t exactly cheap. If they don’t love your idea right away, they’re not picking you. If there is another book that came through yesterday and they like the character names better, they won’t pick you.

But why do some bloggers discriminate against self-published books all together? Apart from some run-ins with authors getting angry with bad reviews (substantiated or not, you should never respond to negative reviews as an author), they describe bad covers, bad editing, and bad plots holes. And though they acknowledge not all self-published books are bad, they cannot bring themselves to except any self-published titles. This by definition is discrimination. I’m not sure when taking negative attributes and applying them to an entire group of people you don’t know is a good idea for anyone, and that holds in the case of books and writers. Acknowledging that not all people are a certain way, and then saying you don’t want to meet the people who aren’t like that (the ones you just said do exist) is a discriminatory practice.

On the flip side, I did always enjoy group punishment in martial arts class because it helps build group solidarity, however, since I haven’t met these other self-published authors, I cannot gain anything by being lumped in with them. I don’t want to do more push-ups when no one is growing as an individual. I can’t stop these people from sending you nasty emails when you give them a bad review, even though I wish I could get them to move on. There are best-selling books with 2 star reviews. It happens.

Bloggers who discriminate against self-published titles might stand behind small publishing companies in their review policy, because they believe the small companies have found books that meet their standards. By accepting small press books, these bloggers are involved in some kind of vetting process, similar to what I propose. Unfortunately, small press isn’t a full-proof way to vet a book. I have experienced a book backed by a small publishing house that had many spelling, grammatical, and formatting errors, and I was disappointed I paid for it. I could not finish it, and therefore, did not leave a review. Also…no one else had left a review, and small press should know how important that is for any author. As for plot holes, even books published by large houses have them, even if they are free of frequent editing errors.

So, bloggers, if I’ve convinced you to enter the twenty-first century, you can set the standards for your book reviews, and actually help make a self-publishing revolution. If you are so influential, and the authority on books in your favorite genres, set the standard, and make authors give you what you want, and what you think readers need. There are still blogs out there that accept self-published titles, but the discrimination still stands as well. The easiest way to vet authors set up a form for review requests. You won’t have to wade through emails with various formats either.

Ways to vet self-published authors:

Judge the book by its cover. Have authors leave a link or upload their cover.
Ask for the editor’s website. I filled out a form that had this on it, and I thought it was a great idea.
Ask for the author’s website or bio. Go check out the author’s website, head shot, and bio, and see if they are serious about writing. You will be able to tell if they are professional, and that is your biggest qualm. Do you want to see if they went to school for writing or have formal training and education? That will appear in the bio.
Accept books based on previous reviews and ratings. 15 amazon reviews and an above 4-star rating? I’ll read it. 15 reviews tells me they aren’t fake reviews. Many advertising companies use reviews to vet entries. You won’t get to post about new releases for the first books in a series, but you can launch the subsequent ones to create excitement on your blog.
Ask for an excerpt. Have them paste a sample chapter or a link to a sample chapter in your form so you can get a feel for if the writing is for you.

To discourage people blowing up your email box, add “We are unable to accept all review requests, and will only be responding to the requests we accept. Please do not follow up with inquiry emails. They will be dismissed and deleted,” to your review policy, and abide by that rule. If someone freaks out, you do not have to answer, or deal with them again.

Bloggers have every right to set their own review policies, but it’s sad to see they could be missing out on something in the genre that inspired them to start a blog in the first place. Times are changing, and I hope both bloggers and authors can be part of getting great books into the hands of readers.

Romarin Demetri prefers the term “independent author”, and is starting a blog series for Indies in June, after the release of her first urban fantasy novel!  Join the newsletter recipients for updates at http://madmimi.com/signups/176318/join . Check back soon!

Valuing resilience: Why I Love Characters with Questionable Parentage in Urban Fantasy

Picture from recitethis.com! https://www.pinterest.com/source/recitethis.com/

One thing I love to read and write about, are characters who are on a journey for self-discovery, that must also discover their family history and the secrets that lie within. They have a need to reflect on something, going into it, and knowing that they might not like the answers.

It is upsetting to be an orphan, or sometimes to even be adopted. Even if they have wonderful parents, some children might not react positively.  I’ve known people who let their status as an adopted child second-guess everything they do, and then I’ve known people who accept life and are supportive, beautiful people.  And then , maybe sometimes, when the time is right, both kinds of people go back and discover their parentage.

These people who make their life positive, whether or not they decide to uncover the clues of their parents, have resilience, a trait that I wished was instilled in everyone.  I don’t know if resilience is a choice or not, and I’m not sure if it can be learned by children who had a rough start, but it is one of the research projects I would love to complete, to see how we could make the world a better place and allow more people to have the right conditions to learn resilience. One of my friends says that you can’t change the world through research, that no one will read it, and only teachers can help children cope. I think sometimes teachers can’t even reach kids, and I think that is a comment from someone who doesn’t value resilience, or maybe she just hasn’t thought about it enough. I think that being able to have a positive mindset and cope is the most important thing we can do while learning about life.

I love to read about resilient characters uncovering their pasts, and every time I hear about adopted characters, my ears perk up (though the visual is quite strange if you take it literally).  I want to know where they came from. A few ill-adjusted characters discovering their roots can be a journey in reflection too, because I think they help the reader sympathize with people who have gone through hardships, and when I make these characters myself, they are built off a tough, real-life stories I have heard that break my heart when I re-tell them.

The reveal of parents—and especially in fantasy with magic or powers—is one of the biggest lead-ups we can give characters, and one of the biggest mysteries we can write. Why was the child given up? How and why was there danger? Are both parents alive? Will they meet again? Characters with questionable parentage are my favorite. I especially like to see how they face difficult situations with resilience.

That being said, the misfits of the Supernatural London Underground have a few mysteries to uncover about their own questionable parentage, and in Book Two, you’ll have a clear understanding about 2.5 of the 4. Who is the .5? Good question. ;)

Do you love a book in which there are characters with questionable parentage uncovering the truth? I want to know about it in the comments below!

Cleveland ConCoction 2016!

This girl:

Author Romarin Demetri at Cleveland Concotion

loved going to Cleveland ConCoction!

Thank you to everyone we met and talked with–and to the vendors and exhibitors that we met over the 3-day weekend. You can view the website for Cleveland ConCoction here to check out the programming they had this year. There was gaming, panels, contests, art, authors, guests, and everyone was very nice! Nice counts for so much, and we were just loving the positive energy. The experience was amazing! We especially loved seeing the cosplay!

Thank you to the staff for Cleveland ConCoction, and for everyone who worked and volunteered!

There was also a preview of two of the subculture symbols from the contest to win a free book! Here are our last day costumes and share images. Can you guess who was who?

Me and https://livinglife957.wordpress.com/ Can you guess which subculture we belong in?

Unlock your symbol at: https://uquiz.com/SevRSQ, and follow the instructions to win a free book!

It’s been two decades since an attempt to eradicate the supernatural forces in the city under the guise of understanding them began, and about seven since it ended in chaos.

 

After their escape, four twentysomething housemates try to learn what being human means, as the hidden part of the city starts to rebuild itself, and they must open their world up to a daft American girl with a dark secret, and potential for their cause.

 

Powers and Personality Quiz Book Giveaway!

The Contest is here, and you can walk away with a brand new book, and your supernatural identity!

I really love a book series that takes me far into the pages of its world, so I knew it would be awesome if readers could see themselves in the world I created. The Powers and Personality Quiz lets you into the Supernatural London Underground by telling you who you’d be, and what your powers are. You even get a fabulous symbol! If you post your symbol in the comments of the facebook post (http://www.facebook.com/romarindemetri), you just entered the contest!

Yes, it is very simple. You just have to save or even screenshot (click share to facebook and snap it on your phone!) your picture to enter the contest. There are 11 winners, so your odds are pretty good.

Good luck!

Book Trailer Release!

Making a book into a movie sure was interesting, so I focused on Romarin’s narrative to bring some pages to life.

Pre-order for Book One can be found here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C...

Paperbacks are available June 4th, 2016…but if you’re lucky…you might be able to snag a free copy. ahead of time! Just watch the “Powers and Personality Quiz Book Giveaway” video post on https://www.facebook.com/RomarinDemetri and follow the instructions!

Cover Reveal and Contest Countdown!

The cover reveal is less than a week away!

Cover reveal: 3.6.16. Book release: 6.4.16

            In searching around for urban fantasy cover ideas, I came to one concluding question: How am I supposed to design and UF cover when my main character doesn’t have a tool belt or gun?

Other characters in my book have tool belts and guns, sure, but they’re not going on the cover (Even if you want them on the cover). Also, my main character is not wearing a midriff when she lives in London, even if she did move from California. It’s rainy and cold there, and completely impractical.

So what is left for an Urban Fantasy Author that doesn’t have a hip-popping-tool-belt-wearing-adventurous-midriff-heroine?

Without giving too much away, I’ll tell you that I wanted to focus on the setting, because half of the books in the series have a title that is the setting for that book. Book two “The Frost Bloom Garden” is my favorite title to date.

I will post a blog for the book giveaway on March 6th, so stay tuned! I’m giving away 11 advance paperback copies. :D

It’s almost time to enter The Supernatural London Underground.

How “can’t” is an empowering word

 

“Can’t” is a dirty word (and will get you twenty push-ups where I come from), but “can’t” can be even more empowering that positive phrases that support you, and the people who believe in you. “Can’t” is a word that will motivate you like nothing else.

“Can’t” tests your passions and your drive, and when you’re told that you can’t do something the test begins, and you’ll do everything you can to pass it.

“Can’t” doesn’t have the facts. It doesn’t have statistics or pay attention to success stories. It doesn’t listen to hard work and work ethic. “Can’t” assumes that you’re not even trying, and that people with talent will never make it without luck. In fact, it puts you down because it has no idea what it’s talking about. “Can’t” tries to pretend that it’s aware of what’s going on, because it knows that it doesn’t have the facts or experience to back things up, and doesn’t think that you are willing to get facts or experience either. It works on the small amount of knowledge it has, and does not strive to learn new things.

I was told that I “can’t” write books because it isn’t practical and no one can make a living off of writing. Even the people who have publishing deals might not sell enough books to earn a living. I was also told that I “can’t” write books by the people in charge of representing them, so with my family telling me I couldn’t, and agents telling me I couldn’t, I did what many authors did, and decided to make writing a hobby, because everyone was saying that I “can’t” do it, even though my ideas are endless. In 2014, a year out of college, I decided that I was going to do everything “can’t” told me I couldn’t, and I was going to be informed and driven about my passion, because “can’t” knows nothing of that.

When I prove that I can, “can’t” won’t be sticking around, and people will truly see that I am up to the challenge. When you get past “can’t”, people start to see “serious”.

Being told that you “can’t” is such a huge motivator because is dismisses your passion and your room to grow.

If you lived your whole life being told that you can do anything, do you suppose that you would have the same passion that you do today?

I don’t think that you would.

If your hand was held, all of the work was done for you, and you were never told you had to try harder, you wouldn’t be in the same place you are today.

“Can’t” is the test that asks you if you want to be here, and if you do, nothing can stop you.

The Girl in the Hood: a look behind the scenes at a much-loved book cover photo

The girl in the hood appeared to me again this morning, a photo that is too pretty to keep off of book covers. This time, she didn’t have the hood on, but I recognized her face, and decided to figure out the story behind the girl in the hood. You might recognize her like this:

Check out her amazing gallery at: http://www.shutterstock.com/cat.mhtml?page=3&tracking_id=VXZhGjfmMkcMF0ZhRlO0kw&models=606766&country_code=US&thumb_size=mosaic&search_type=model_search&search_language=en&safesearch=1&inline=58560046

The first time I saw her, she was on a book cover that shared some of the same inspiration as my novel, and weirdly enough, the titles were eerily similar before I changed from “Legacy of a Countess”  to “A Mirror Among Shattered Glass”. Being how I am, I thought the cover was lovely, but that a girl from the 1600s probably wouldn’t have on makeup or French acrylic nails. I am so weird when it comes to hair and makeup in movies and books that shouldn’t have hair and makeup.  It’s probably just a Cosmetologist and English major thing.

I have seen the girl in the hood a few more times, and it really is a great photo that evokes mystery and a kind of sensuality. This morning, after she showed up in my email inbox, I decided to look into the story behind her photos, and yes, it’s kind of awesome.

The photo is by photographer Konrad Bak. He is from Poland, and is well-known, with an impressive gallery that you can purchase to use. The article by Shutterstock about his unique photos and style can be found here: http://www.shutterstock.com/blog/2012/08/fashion-icons-keeping-up-with-conrado/, and in it, you will find that the  model behind the portrait of the mysterious woman in the hood,  is very versatile in her photos, and the best part is:

She is also his wife, Iwona.

I’d say this is a happily ever after ending to the mystery of the woman in the hood. It’s quite lovely to know that they travel taking pictures together, and creating stories from their art that so many people have enjoyed. The are in many of the stock photos together, as a team!

Seeing your book cover brought to life is a truly amazing thing, and it’s wonderful to meet the people who help your own images come to fruition!

I can’t wait to share mine in less than a month!

There you have it. The woman in the hood is full of more than just mystery.

Would you hang up this quote in your home? “By the time a woman realizes her mother was right, she has a daughter who thinks she’s wrong”

In my blog I love finding quotes and analyzing them. My T.S. Elliot quote conversation even gets found through Google.

I like to see inspirational quotes in an age where relationally aggressive quotes are found set to pictures all over the internet. I don’t see how the use of negative quotes helps anyone, and today, I’m discussing a negative quote.

Would you hang this on your wall?

I first saw a sign similar to this Box Sign – “Shes Wrong” in a home section of a department store. For inspiration, it’s kind of a rule of wrist not to have the word “wrong” as the last word on a plaque. Still, people are posting the hell out of this quote, as if to say amends have been made. I don’t think anyone needs to be called out for their own opinion or growing life experiences.

I don’t see how this is funny or inspirational. It’s just depressing that everyone is failing.

So often, parents say “because I said so,” and that is one of the most incredulous things you can say to a child. So what should be said to a child or adolescent who thinks they are right? How about, “It’s not because I’m older than you that you have to listen to me, it’s because I’ve gone through the same experiences as you, and my experience makes me an authority.”

“experience though noon auctoritee”- Geoffrey Chaucer.

Yes, I’ve studied Chaucer. Check out the Wife of Bath’s prologue from the Canterbury Tales if you enjoy middle English (it gets easier to read as you keep going), and print that on a plaque instead. If you’re asking what it means, through translation and thought, you will find that the Wife of Bath thinks that you can’t have real authority without experience. I also take this to mean that if you have the experience, you are  more than likely an authority (in a normal case). For example, The Wife of Bath thinks that priests should not be giving marriage advice, as they are not married. My mom does Calligraphy, so maybe I’ll ask her to make me a nice plaque!

Parent child relationships are interesting—not only to your home décor, but because many people forget that children and adolescents have the ability to think abstractly and be reasoned with. Maybe “Because I said so” just means that parents are afraid that they are raising adults. People don’t like to be asked questions, but if you don’t learn something new everyday, then what are you doing with life?

The maternal figure in my book series was very vivid to my editor, and I think she would be the person to hang up the plaque that started this whole post. Have you know…she is hiding a vital piece of her daughter’s past in plain sight, but she thinks she’s right for doing so. Of course she’s right, read the plaque!

Do you, or would you put this quote up in your home, and what purpose would it serve?

(Also, sorry for the long blog title. It’s longer than my book titles, which I didn’t think was a thing.)