Eddie D. Moore's Blog, page 3
August 24, 2019
Trial & Error
I’m the type of person that will push on a door twice before stopping to read the sign that says pull. It appears that I’ve taken the same approach to join the world of indie authors. If you are following my writing and publishing, bear with me; I’m learning as I go.
I used the graphics and templates offered by KDP, Kendle’s Direct Publishing, to create the covers for my mini-anthologies, Misfits & Oddities and After Storming Area 51. Both of these mini-anthologies now have contracts for audio productions. This created a need for a cover that would meet ACX’s, Audiobook Creation Exchange, requirements.
This wasn’t my first problem using KDP. If you compare the current digital and print covers for Misfits & Oddities, you will notice that the colors are different. They tell you in their instruction video to write down your color choices and font styles so that you can make them match. Unfortunately, the color block they give you while setting up each cover is not in the same order, and since I am partially colorblind, this task became a guessing game for me.
When I discovered that the covers created using KDP could not be used by ACX, I asked KDP for permission to alter the graphics. Their response was simply to tell me that you are not allowed to use your book covers on merchandise, and that they will not work for audiobook covers. You would think there’d be a little cooperation between the two.
I have acquired the services of a graphics designer to create new covers for both of my anthologies so that all three will match. In the future, I will be buying graphics for anything I’m going to release first. If I found someone offering a great deal on graphics, I might even buy the graphics before writing the stories.
I used the graphics and templates offered by KDP, Kendle’s Direct Publishing, to create the covers for my mini-anthologies, Misfits & Oddities and After Storming Area 51. Both of these mini-anthologies now have contracts for audio productions. This created a need for a cover that would meet ACX’s, Audiobook Creation Exchange, requirements.
This wasn’t my first problem using KDP. If you compare the current digital and print covers for Misfits & Oddities, you will notice that the colors are different. They tell you in their instruction video to write down your color choices and font styles so that you can make them match. Unfortunately, the color block they give you while setting up each cover is not in the same order, and since I am partially colorblind, this task became a guessing game for me.
When I discovered that the covers created using KDP could not be used by ACX, I asked KDP for permission to alter the graphics. Their response was simply to tell me that you are not allowed to use your book covers on merchandise, and that they will not work for audiobook covers. You would think there’d be a little cooperation between the two.
I have acquired the services of a graphics designer to create new covers for both of my anthologies so that all three will match. In the future, I will be buying graphics for anything I’m going to release first. If I found someone offering a great deal on graphics, I might even buy the graphics before writing the stories.
December 31, 2018
2018 Under Scrutiny
I had hopes of writing another science fiction novel this year, but I never got past the outline. A green check-mark can be placed by my other goals for the year. I did manage to publish a few more blog posts, and I definitely wrote at least a short story every month.
Eighteen short stories were added to my list of publications this year, a little over thirty thousand words. It thrills me greatly that I sold my first story as a podcast this year to Manawalker Studios. 600 Second Saga has published many of my short stories, but Manawalker Studios was my first audio sale.
Seven of my stories this year were included in anthologies and magazines. In the coming year, I’m going to focus more of my submissions to markets that include a print publication.
I mentioned self-publishing an anthology in an earlier blog-post, and I’ve sent a small collection of stories to a few trusted readers for feedback. Hopefully, I’ll have more to say about this soon.
It has been a great year, full of opportunities, and I expect that 2019 will be no different.
Eighteen short stories were added to my list of publications this year, a little over thirty thousand words. It thrills me greatly that I sold my first story as a podcast this year to Manawalker Studios. 600 Second Saga has published many of my short stories, but Manawalker Studios was my first audio sale.
Seven of my stories this year were included in anthologies and magazines. In the coming year, I’m going to focus more of my submissions to markets that include a print publication.
I mentioned self-publishing an anthology in an earlier blog-post, and I’ve sent a small collection of stories to a few trusted readers for feedback. Hopefully, I’ll have more to say about this soon.
It has been a great year, full of opportunities, and I expect that 2019 will be no different.
June 19, 2016
Why do I write?
When I was in high school, I was the first one on and the last one off the bus. I spent nearly three hours a day on the bus before the invention of smart phones! When we could, we shared a set of earphones and a Walkman to listen to music, but more often than not, the batteries would die leaving us to find other ways to entertain ourselves. Naps were a challenge on the rough riding school bus, and there was always some punk, tough guy with nothing better to do than pick on an underclassman that isn’t paying attention to themselves. Being forced to stay conscience pretty much left homework, reading, or writing to occupy my time.
Most of the time, I finished my homework. I read almost every astronomy book the school had in the library. I read every Larry Niven book that I could get my hands on, and I read The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings for the first time on those long bus rides. Reading offered me a way of escape. I was able to leave it all behind and live a new life for a time thanks to those books and authors.
For a time, I wrote Star Trek parodies on a small, spiral notepad. They were short, quirky, and borderline obscene. I would let my small circle of friends read these and eagerly wait to see their expressions change as they reached twisted or funny scenes in my writing.
At home, I used my Commodore C16 to write ‘choose your own adventure’ stories in Basic, and I saved them to the cassette drive. Yes, just writing the previous sentence makes me feel very old. I would share these with family and friends, and once again, I watched for their reactions as they chose a path that lead to certain death and dismemberment.
So, why do I write? The answer is simple. I like to share, and I enjoy knowing that someone’s emotions were stirred by something I created. If something I write causes you laugh, cry, or cock your head and wonder, what is wrong with him? I would love to know about it; it is why I write.
Most of the time, I finished my homework. I read almost every astronomy book the school had in the library. I read every Larry Niven book that I could get my hands on, and I read The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings for the first time on those long bus rides. Reading offered me a way of escape. I was able to leave it all behind and live a new life for a time thanks to those books and authors.
For a time, I wrote Star Trek parodies on a small, spiral notepad. They were short, quirky, and borderline obscene. I would let my small circle of friends read these and eagerly wait to see their expressions change as they reached twisted or funny scenes in my writing.
At home, I used my Commodore C16 to write ‘choose your own adventure’ stories in Basic, and I saved them to the cassette drive. Yes, just writing the previous sentence makes me feel very old. I would share these with family and friends, and once again, I watched for their reactions as they chose a path that lead to certain death and dismemberment.
So, why do I write? The answer is simple. I like to share, and I enjoy knowing that someone’s emotions were stirred by something I created. If something I write causes you laugh, cry, or cock your head and wonder, what is wrong with him? I would love to know about it; it is why I write.
