Derek Barton's Blog, page 27
June 8, 2017
A Brief Glimpse… — Derek Barton
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Here is a tiny morsel… A free grocery market sample of a chapter in my rough draft of The Bleeding Crown. Enjoy!!
Taihven rapped his knuckles upon the wooden door. It was more formality than anything. He opened it before Captain Ruessard could answer it. The young soldier sat facing outward, scanning the horizon as he always seemed to do.
“I have your Brulla, Rashad. And with that northerly wind coming in today, I went ahead and added a touch of Candock Whiskey to them.”
Rashad turned around, sporting a wry smirk upon his face, “Well, who am I to debate with my king. It does have a bite of frostiness in the air this foremorn.”
He had touches of premature grey at his temples. He also had his late father’s hazel eyes and a spattering of freckles under his eyes that forever made him younger in appearance than his actual age.
They fell into a comfortable silence in the high guard tower which overlooked the docks. Each young man lost in his thoughts. Over the last two months, this had become an odd routine that they both grew to appreciate. During the Viestrahl Siege, they both lost cherished family members and were thrust into new positions of responsibility. It took them time to adjust, get settled in their roles and a friendship had developed naturally from this upheaval that they shared in common.
“You would not have known this by looking at him nor by the life he lived, but my father’s heart always belonged to the sea. Before the Wyvernguard had demanded more of his time, he and I would spend early hours like these fishing from a broken-down skiff he salvaged.” Rashad said wistfully looking out at the crashing waves. “There is something enchanting about the color of the water, the soothing roll of the waves and the thrill of watching the lightning storms in the distance…”
“Hmmm. You are right, I did not know that about the good captain. To tell you the truth, Bardun Ruessard used to scare the color out of my face!” Taihven laughed. “It took a long time for me to not be nervous around him. The man was as near a legend I had ever been close to.”
Rashad joined him in laughing and said, “You were not alone. It was rare any of my friends would dare to visit me. He was not a hard man, never laid a hand on me or my sisters, but I guess he had a different side to him ‘on duty’.”
Again, silence settled over them. Taihven’s own father and mother were entombed together only the prior month. He had lost everything that truly mattered to him. The new king felt that sacrifice each moment of the day and restless night.
A flash of memory interrupted his reverie. Letandra’s mace lying abandoned in the courtyard sand…
He grimaced and shook away the image. Then, he tried to take in the rays of sunlight with his eyes, drink it up and feel the spread of warmth over his chest — over his ice frozen heart.
“I am sorry, Rashad. He died a hero though and you honor his name well.”
He did not reply and took a deep drink from his mug of Brulla. Taihven continued to scan the waves of the bay himself. He took note and tracked a procession of five ships which had slipped around the Eastrock Lighthouse Island. They bore the flags and colors of the Trade Merchants of Ansony.
“That is welcome news.” He pointed to the fleet approaching the docks. “The plague has been keeping many of the supply caravans away. They still believe there is an outbreak within the outside edges of the villages. The Court Scribes and I were scheduled to work out letters for the Envoys. Requesting that word be communicated that we have stamped out the Viestrahl plague, but we were now dealing with shortages.”
“Yes, now it appears that will not be necessary…” His words faded and he squinted against the dawn sun. “Seems odd that Ansony would send five ships though.”
Another row of ships, these branded as Premia fishing vessels abruptly appeared, coming in from the west.
The first of the Ansony fleet floated alongside the docking posts of the pier. Taihven wondered aloud, “And now we have another six?”
Rashad stood up and unhooked a ram’s horn from its cradle set upon a wall shelf. He held it as the two men studied the docking merchants. The boats aligned two on one side, three on the other pier. No one had exited, yet dozens were gathering on the ship decks.
The Premia boats cruised into the bay. Yet, they were not approaching and were lowering their barnacled anchors. Men rushed in chaotic errands to and fro on their decks as well.
“Captain, this does not strike me as normal.”
“Indeed.”
Three dock guards strode out to the moored ships as per normal protocol. Taihven and Rashad noticed the dock guards were alert and had their hands on the hilts of their swords.
At the same instant the dock guards called out a greeting, a volley of fireballs launched from the decks of the Premia ships. They arched in smoky trails through the sky These were arcane evocations.
“It is an attack. Sound your alarm!” Taihven growled and he yanked open the tower door, but the young captain grabbed his wrist.
“You cannot go out there yet, lord! Wait for the Royals to escort you.”
Rashad pierced the stillness of the morning calm with a shrill series of warning notes from his horn. Hooded men in black leather armors charged from the Ansony boats waving hatchets and scimitars.
The invaders overwhelmed and dispatched the unfortunate band of dock guards.
Four Royalguards appeared and without word swept both of them into their circle of protection. They scrambled as a unit down the wooden steps.
An eruption of thick sheets of ice formed a few feet above the guard tower. The sheets drove through the shingles, imploded the guard room and pulverized most of the winding tower stairs into splinters.
“Take him to the Vaults!” Rashad demanded of his men and then broke from the circle. He head straight to a rank of Wyvernguard sprinting toward the docks.
“TO ME! CENTER TO ME!”
As Taihven was man-handled toward the castle, he glanced back over his shoulder in time to see a bulging, black-blue wave of sea water as it cascaded into the bay. It washed up and over the pier. The wave retreated leaving behind a colossal, ivory beast unlike anything he had ever witnessed. It extended its gelatinous, spiked belly in rolls as it thrashed a long split-tail over the boards. Guards and enemies alike were flung head-over-heels into the air and sea.
Rashad led the charge of a shield phalanx, lances and polearms bristling from it. They advanced upon the creature and the mob of invaders.
The beast’s hooked snout opened and several spear-like tongues erupted from it, impaling and dragging several victims back to it.
Screams of agony and echoes of snapping bones filled the air as the Adventdawn Vault door slammed behind him. The Royals hauled Taihven away from the dock carnage.
IT IS TOO SOON! Taihven’s thoughts screamed in his head as panic gripped him. WHAT CAN I DO? WE ARE STILL SO WEAK FROM THE DISEASE AND HORDE MARCH! HOW CAN I STOP THIS ALL ALONE?
Please let me know what you think so far. Comments are always welcomed!
May 31, 2017
F R E E Signed BOOK GIVEAWAY!!
Go on http://www.Goodreads.com and sign up to enter in a drawing for one of four, free signed copies starting June 7th and running through June 21st!!
Good luck!!
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May 25, 2017
The Wilds of Aberrisc… — Derek Barton
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As promised in my blog A New Land to Behold…, here is my first draft of the Map to the Wilds of Aberrisc.
I am not completely happy with it so it may not find its way into the book like this, but perhaps another version will. Yet, I do feel that a map was overdue. And I have to admit they are fun to build!
From Consequences Within Chaos:
“You were rumored to have been imprisoned by the Eulocths a while ago. Was this true?” Taihven was confused until an image of the Green Ones flashed in her mind.
“Oh, yes! Vicious, little lizard-like creatures.” He blurted out, but immediately he felt anxious and did not like the possible outcomes of this topic.
“Well, you see our race has had constant conflicts with the Eulocths. Ever since we got knotted in Yamtolak.”
“Knotted? What do you mean?” he asked.
“Yes, knotted. How do I explain…” she gathered her words. “Where you come from, do your lands not knot? When the lands collide, but connect versus pushing away from one another?”
The look of confusion on his face answered for him. “Our lands do not move. They are locked into position.”
“Ah! You see, all the continents here float upon a massive ocean and they move along with the subterranean currents. Occasionally, the lands collide, but bounce off from each other. The knots are when the lands strike and lock into each other or part of the land tears free and remain with one land or another. Such is what happened with our Sacred Groves of Ara Turas. We have been knotted and trapped here on Yamtolak when it knotted with our homeland.”
In Consequences Within Chaos, the characters were in various locations, but a map was not as necessary to follow the story line. In the Bleeding Crown (the sequel to Consequences Within Chaos), I feel it will be very beneficial to see where the characters are and where the action is taking place in relation to one another.
Here is also a little write-up on each continent:
Wilds of Aberrisc
Ara Turas – Homeland of the Duradramyn; their lands exist of grassy plains and rolling tundra. Duradramyn are a simplistic, tribal people that rely heavily on ritual or spiritual magic. While renown for their agriculture, they are also dedicated to existing with nature, living among animals and preserving the environment.
Aviytoss – Homeland of the Flohki; sprawling wetlands and dwarf tree swamps. Flohki are half-bird humanoids that tend to be xenophobic and very territorial. Their technology, militant personalities and scientific knowledge has fostered them several large cities and coastal fishing industries.
Bre’Avat — Vast jungles and volcanic mountain ranges. The continent does not have a known race or humanoid culture, but is home to original species of Mammoth Bats, Khortha Lizards and Reaxes which are massive beetles that live within lava pits. Abandoned ruins of an intelligent race have been found there, but no survivors or descendants are known.
Cordavail – Homeland of a small human kingdom. They are very isolated in a ring of high mountains and rarely reach out to neighboring lands.
Dorminahz – Homeland to the Thettes and Brohmn Giant races. These two clans are very war-like and have often battled in bloody and costly civil wars. They live barbarian lifestyles, but the Thettes are nomadic and follow after migratory animal herds. The Brohmn claim permanent residences and dig out immense structures in mountain sides and subterranean caverns.
Ele Tessis – Territory to the shadow race of Bal’Avals. These mystical creatures tend to have sadistic desires and evil tendencies. Little contact has been made with them; they protect their lands violently and will not suffer any trespassing.
Fhey Rhas – Homeland of the Yuul; their home is a ring of seven islands. The Yuul are a feline/human race that dedicate their lives to the study of magic. Political sciences and government organization are also key concerns to their culture.
Huuscia – Endless miles of desert wasteland; suspected to be unpopulated, but few explorers have ever returned from their expeditions.
Mescarne – A heat-blasted, barren plain; at its center is the legendary Quartz Tower. The Tower is believed to be the key focal point for the magical energies and ley lines to the entire world of Aberrisc. Few have found it and been able to return to describe the structure. Some propose it is of ancient origin by a long-forgotten race. No one has ever been able to describe the interior.
Peht Glacier Flats – Ice wasteland; unpopulated by humanoid creatures due to its weather and unstable lands and climate.
Rya – Desert dune lands cover most of this continent. However, there are also long stretches of glass fields that mar this sand expanse. Ancient tales and folklore describe the region as a homeland to a once noble and powerful race, but they unleashed a doomsday cataclysm which formed the glass fields and ever growing dunes. No evidence of such a race has been discovered to date.
Utakraas – Homeland of the Balshazras; these lands are made up of sprawling swamp areas, deep lakes and enormous rivers. Balshazras are reptilian, but have a high intellect that matches their natural gifts with arcane and elemental magic. The unique creatures can continuously reincarnate and thus are seemingly immortal.
Yamtolak – Homeland of the Eulocths. These vile lizard humanoids have very base, selfish desires and often make raids upon other lands for food, treasures or to take slaves. They exist in linked clan villages that all answer to their tyrant king. Their biggest strength and weapon is in their sheer numbers. With a mob-mentality, the Eulocths do not fear anything or anyone.
I hope to create another world map of Wyvernshield soon for the next blog. Please let me know what you thought and if you have any suggestions.
The Wilds of Aberrisc…
[image error]
As promised in my blog A New Land to Behold…, here is my first draft of the Map to the Wilds of Aberrisc.
I am not completely happy with it so it may not find its way into the book like this, but perhaps another version will. Yet, I do feel that a map was overdue. And I have to admit they are fun to build!
From Consequences Within Chaos:
“You were rumored to have been imprisoned by the Eulocths a while ago. Was this true?” Taihven was confused until an image of the Green Ones flashed in her mind.
“Oh, yes! Vicious, little lizard-like creatures.” He blurted out, but immediately he felt anxious and did not like the possible outcomes of this topic.
“Well, you see our race has had constant conflicts with the Eulocths. Ever since we got knotted in Yamtolak.”
“Knotted? What do you mean?” he asked.
“Yes, knotted. How do I explain…” she gathered her words. “Where you come from, do your lands not knot? When the lands collide, but connect versus pushing away from one another?”
The look of confusion on his face answered for him. “Our lands do not move. They are locked into position.”
“Ah! You see, all the continents here float upon a massive ocean and they move along with the subterranean currents. Occasionally, the lands collide, but bounce off from each other. The knots are when the lands strike and lock into each other or part of the land tears free and remain with one land or another. Such is what happened with our Sacred Groves of Ara Turas. We have been knotted and trapped here on Yamtolak when it knotted with our homeland.”
In Consequences Within Chaos, the characters were in various locations, but a map was not as necessary to follow the story line. In the Bleeding Crown (the sequel to Consequences Within Chaos), I feel it will be very beneficial to see where the characters are and where the action is taking place in relation to one another.
Here is also a little write-up on each continent:
Wilds of Aberrisc
Ara Turas – Homeland of the Duradramyn; their lands exist of grassy plains and rolling tundra. Duradramyn are a simplistic, tribal people that rely heavily on ritual or spiritual magic. While renown for their agriculture, they are also dedicated to existing with nature, living among animals and preserving the environment.
Aviytoss – Homeland of the Flohki; sprawling wetlands and dwarf tree swamps. Flohki are half-bird humanoids that tend to be xenophobic and very territorial. Their technology, militant personalities and scientific knowledge has fostered them several large cities and coastal fishing industries.
Bre’Avat — Vast jungles and volcanic mountain ranges. The continent does not have a known race or humanoid culture, but is home to original species of Mammoth Bats, Khortha Lizards and Reaxes which are massive beetles that live within lava pits. Abandoned ruins of an intelligent race have been found there, but no survivors or descendants are known.
Cordavail – Homeland of a small human kingdom. They are very isolated in a ring of high mountains and rarely reach out to neighboring lands.
Dorminahz – Homeland to the Thettes and Brohmn Giant races. These two clans are very war-like and have often battled in bloody and costly civil wars. They live barbarian lifestyles, but the Thettes are nomadic and follow after migratory animal herds. The Brohmn claim permanent residences and dig out immense structures in mountain sides and subterranean caverns.
Ele Tessis – Territory to the shadow race of Bal’Avals. These mystical creatures tend to have sadistic desires and evil tendencies. Little contact has been made with them; they protect their lands violently and will not suffer any trespassing.
Fhey Rhas – Homeland of the Yuul; their home is a ring of seven islands. The Yuul are a feline/human race that dedicate their lives to the study of magic. Political sciences and government organization are also key concerns to their culture.
Huuscia – Endless miles of desert wasteland; suspected to be unpopulated, but few explorers have ever returned from their expeditions.
Mescarne – A heat-blasted, barren plain; at its center is the legendary Quartz Tower. The Tower is believed to be the key focal point for the magical energies and ley lines to the entire world of Aberrisc. Few have found it and been able to return to describe the structure. Some propose it is of ancient origin by a long-forgotten race. No one has ever been able to describe the interior.
Peht Glacier Flats – Ice wasteland; unpopulated by humanoid creatures due to its weather and unstable lands and climate.
Rya – Desert dune lands cover most of this continent. However, there are also long stretches of glass fields that mar this sand expanse. Ancient tales and folklore describe the region as a homeland to a once noble and powerful race, but they unleashed a doomsday cataclysm which formed the glass fields and ever growing dunes. No evidence of such a race has been discovered to date.
Utakraas – Homeland of the Balshazras; these lands are made up of sprawling swamp areas, deep lakes and enormous rivers. Balshazras are reptilian, but have a high intellect that matches their natural gifts with arcane and elemental magic. The unique creatures can continuously reincarnate and thus are seemingly immortal.
Yamtolak – Homeland of the Eulocths. These vile lizard humanoids have very base, selfish desires and often make raids upon other lands for food, treasures or to take slaves. They exist in linked clan villages that all answer to their tyrant king. Their biggest strength and weapon is in their sheer numbers. With a mob-mentality, the Eulocths do not fear anything or anyone.
I hope to create another world map of Wyvernshield soon for the next blog. Please let me know what you thought and if you have any suggestions.
May 14, 2017
The New Cover! — Derek Barton
Front & Back —
Copies available on Amazon & Kindle!!
The New Cover!
Front & Back —
Copies available on Amazon & Kindle!!
May 10, 2017
Steps Taken Upon A New “Path”…
[image error]In the mid 80s, my father, Ted Barton wrote an original new take on the classic werewolf story. It was called The Path. He ran through the typical gauntlet of publisher inquiries and got the typical rejections. Just like today, literary agents and publishers are looking primarily for already established writers — this cuts down on their marketing costs and the gambling risks of taking on new talent.
Unfortunately, the age of self-publication had not taken shape yet. So The Path has remained locked away in a box ever since, gathering dust.
But now…
My father and I are teaming up, revamping the work and will be publishing it by the end of the year! (Insert trumpet blaring and confetti parades here!)
We will be amending the title, but for now here is the first sampling of our book. Hope you enjoy it!
CHAPTER ONE – DZHANKAH:
The Prey was running!
Dzhankah liked it when they ran because it was… entertaining. He had no sense of humor, but it did appeal to his sense of cruelty. It was as close to playing a game as a creature devoid of normal human disposition could approach. Watching his prey stumble clumsily before him, squeaking and mewling in terror gave him immense pleasure.
Sometimes upon first sight of him the timid animals would lock up. Their eyes would roll up white in their sockets and their bladders would let go, leaving dark puddles in the powdery earth at their feet. He would make a big show of his attack, snarling viciously and frothing at the mouth as he reared up and advanced upon them. If he were in a benevolent mood, he would end it quickly by severing their head or ripping out a vital organ. This was not as enjoyable as playing it out, nip by slash, until life ebbed from the quivering remains.
Best of all was when his victims ran.
And this one ran well – almost fast enough to get away.
But not quite…
When Dzhankah first revealed himself, the Meat froze and stared with little apparent fear. This one was either too stupid or too drunk to believe his eyes. Or perhaps he’d seen things before – events or atrocities that had hardened him to the world. After all, the few kills of these two-legged Meats that Dzhankah had experienced had all been of the local, domestic variety.
This, however, was a wild one.
Dzhankah guessed this as evidenced by the Prey’s appearance and from the fact that he had camped in the clearing next to the field rather than in one of their smelly, wooden caves.
If only I had been on the Hunt last night, I would have slept with a full belly.
This Prey still would be easy to kill, but deserved a little more respect. Dzhankah would chase him down and dispatch him immediately.
When the Meat bolted at last, he fled quickly and with purpose. He didn’t look back, kept his head down and concentrated every effort into making his legs carry him as fast as possible toward the clearing where he had camped.
Dzhankah was curious. What did the Meat expect to profit by gaining the clearing? Could he want more room to defend himself? Perhaps he has hidden some sort of weapon back at his campsite?
Never before had one tried to defend himself! Dzhankah found the prospect enticing and brought a surge of excitement to his heart.
The Beast then decided to leap over a few rows and sprint ahead to check out the clearing. There he would either wait for the Meat to come blundering into him or he would come back to the chase within the corn.
Bursting into the clearing, he cast his eyes over the campsite, searching for anything that might be used against him. He thrust his muzzle to the ground, sniffing everything in sight – the bed of embers in the campfire, the bundle of rags the Meat carried with him, the nest of cornstalks piled near the base of the tree…
The tree!
The wild one wasn’t running for a weapon, but fleeing towards the only possible avenue of escape.
Clever, clever! He thought to himself, slightly disappointed over the missed opportunity for a fight.
Oh yes, the Meat has been around all right. Had seen things… and somehow knows I can’t climb trees!
On cue, his quarry exploded from the cornfield and without breaking stride, leaped over Dzhankah’s head and grasped a low-hanging branch. With a grunt, the Prey began pulling himself up into the tree, his legs pinwheeling in the air.
Before he swung his upper torso into the crotch of a branch, Dzhankah lunged and clamped his teeth down hard upon his left foot. A shriek of agony sliced through the air as the ankle bones crunched into a bloody pulp within his powerful jaws.
The Meat kicked and stomped frantically at his tormentor’s face, but Dzhankah, ignored the blows, closed his eyes… and slowly pulled.
More of the novel will be forthcoming. Please let us know what you think so far. Reviews, suggestions or comments are always welcome!
April 18, 2017
Taking Advantage of Obstacles… — Derek Barton
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It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose of a pacific station, that great characters are formed. The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties. -Abigail Adams
Last week my home computer crashed and died an ugly death.
I didn’t hold a funeral or even a memorial. I buried it away quickly in a cabinet like a guilty secret and tried to not to obsess over it.
Why? Because this is a serious financial setback – I just don’t have the means to replace it easily. I am even writing this blog at work on break (shhhhh don’t tell! LOL)
I have had the computer since 2009 and I knew the day was coming that I would have to replace it, but… I had a fantasy hope that it would last yet another year or more. That little voice in my head kept saying, “Let me just get my sequel done and then maybe I could afford a new one!”
The rub of it all is that I was gaining serious momentum on my book. I had written four and a half chapters so far with a goal that by October the first draft would be complete. Now, everything has been locked away in my Scrivener program, imprisoned unjustly within the hard drive. Yes, some of the outline has been saved to my Google Drive folders, but I was very lax in updating my work to the Cloud. Lesson learned.
My father did point out that “there was this somewhat known writer guy called Shakespeare who didn’t own any computers and he managed to get quite a bit produced…” SIGHHHHHHH Thanks, Dad!
Anyway, I realized that there was just no way around this for now and I decided to focus on my audio script work. I am adapting Consequences Within Chaos into an audio book to be sold on Audible.com. While my heart is still longing to write The Bleeding Crown, I am having an interesting experience with developing the audio version for Consequences.
In the past, I always made the quick assumptions that the audio book process was complex, expensive and not really well accepted by the readers. This has proven to be quite the opposite!
The steps are pretty simple:
Write out your book as if it were a script.
Find a voice actor or read and record your own voice.
Post it and sell it through Audible and/or other audio book sites!
So writing the book into a script format is time-consuming but can be a rewarding experience in itself. I am sure there are more formal processes for the work, but I just did highlights and notes throughout the manuscript for the voice actor. You have to be sure exactly how you want names to be read, how you want voices to sound, how much pausing or dramatic emphasis on passages you want and you have to guide the voice actor on scene or dialog pacing.
The part where one has to find a voice actor and afford the actor’s services sounded pretty overwhelming at first. However there again, the process is well-designed for amateurs like me. You can actually find voice actors on your own as I happened to (I met a few at the Galaxyfest Comic-con I attended in February) or you can post/advertise you are looking for one online or you can hire through several sites (like Fiverr.com).
Once you have a voice actor, payment for that actor can be done two ways: a one-time payment for said services agreed upon by both parties OR a split of the royalties received for the audio book (the contract will be for as long as the book is selling on the site).
Once the recordings are completed (and if you decide to record your own reading of the book, you can gain a lot of good tips from www.youtube.com videos on how to make the recordings and what settings you need), you will need to download them onto http://www.acx.com/ if you plan on selling through Audible.com. This site is very similar to what https://www.createspace.com/ is for Amazon.
Also here are some more factors to keep in mind for the recordings (obtained from acx’s guides):
ACX Audio Submission Requirements
Create top-quality audiobooks, and maximize your sales potential by providing the best overall listening experience.
Audiobooks uploaded to ACX must adhere to the following requirements. The ACX Quality Assurance team may reject titles that do not meet these standards, and their retail release may be delayed. The following requirements help ensure customers get a great listen.
Your submitted audiobook must:
be consistent in overall sound and formatting
include opening and closing credits
be comprised of all mono or all stereo files
include a retail audio sample that is between one and five minutes long
Each uploaded audio file must:
contain only one chapter/section per file, with the section header read aloud
have a running time no longer than 120 minutes
have room tone at the beginning and end and be free of extraneous sounds
measure between -23dB and -18dB RMS and have -3dB peak values and a maximum -60dB noise floor
be a 192kbps or higher MP3, Constant Bit Rate (CBR) at 44.1 kHz
More information on how to meet these requirements can be found below and in our Video Lessons & Resources, and many of the terms used here can be found in our Audio Terminology Glossary.
There is a lot of extra details they have on the site to further break it down and easy to complete.
And lastly, here is a sample of the research I found on the internet about marketing audio books and how audio books are having an impact on the market:
Data from the Association of American Publishers (APP) released this week showed U.S. book sales from January to October last year grew 0.5 percent, although overall revenue for publishers during the period was down 2.8 percent at $13.2 billion.
However, one area that is experiencing strong growth is audio books. The APP said audio book downloads increased by 38.1 percent in 2015 and services such as Audible, where users pay a monthly subscription to access a library of audio books, are growing.
“Audible membership growth is consistent at 40 per cent year on year, as more consumers realise how well audiobooks can fit into their busy lives,” explained Tracey Markham, country manager for Audible, to CNBC via email. “Audible members globally listened to 1.6 billion hours of audio content in 2015 (up from 1.2 billion in 2014).” — CNBC.com
While the week did start out like a blind, three-legged horse at the race track, I did find a way to make it productive in spite of the broken down computer. And I hope that this also opens your eyes to the possibility of audio books of your own and how really easy this process can be.
With any luck (I used up all my bad luck already right?) this will become a successful new venture in audio for me!!
Taking Advantage of Obstacles…
[image error]
It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose of a pacific station, that great characters are formed. The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties. -Abigail Adams
Last week my home computer crashed and died an ugly death.
I didn’t hold a funeral or even a memorial. I buried it away quickly in a cabinet like a guilty secret and tried to not to obsess over it.
Why? Because this is a serious financial setback – I just don’t have the means to replace it easily. I am even writing this blog at work on break (shhhhh don’t tell! LOL)
I have had the computer since 2009 and I knew the day was coming that I would have to replace it, but… I had a fantasy hope that it would last yet another year or more. That little voice in my head kept saying, “Let me just get my sequel done and then maybe I could afford a new one!”
The rub of it all is that I was gaining serious momentum on my book. I had written four and a half chapters so far with a goal that by October the first draft would be complete. Now, everything has been locked away in my Scrivener program, imprisoned unjustly within the hard drive. Yes, some of the outline has been saved to my Google Drive folders, but I was very lax in updating my work to the Cloud. Lesson learned.
My father did point out that “there was this somewhat known writer guy called Shakespeare who didn’t own any computers and he managed to get quite a bit produced…” SIGHHHHHHH Thanks, Dad!
Anyway, I realized that there was just no way around this for now and I decided to focus on my audio script work. I am adapting Consequences Within Chaos into an audio book to be sold on Audible.com. While my heart is still longing to write The Bleeding Crown, I am having an interesting experience with developing the audio version for Consequences.
In the past, I always made the quick assumptions that the audio book process was complex, expensive and not really well accepted by the readers. This has proven to be quite the opposite!
The steps are pretty simple:
Write out your book as if it were a script.
Find a voice actor or read and record your own voice.
Post it and sell it through Audible and/or other audio book sites!
So writing the book into a script format is time-consuming but can be a rewarding experience in itself. I am sure there are more formal processes for the work, but I just did highlights and notes throughout the manuscript for the voice actor. You have to be sure exactly how you want names to be read, how you want voices to sound, how much pausing or dramatic emphasis on passages you want and you have to guide the voice actor on scene or dialog pacing.
The part where one has to find a voice actor and afford the actor’s services sounded pretty overwhelming at first. However there again, the process is well-designed for amateurs like me. You can actually find voice actors on your own as I happened to (I met a few at the Galaxyfest Comic-con I attended in February) or you can post/advertise you are looking for one online or you can hire through several sites (like Fiverr.com).
Once you have a voice actor, payment for that actor can be done two ways: a one-time payment for said services agreed upon by both parties OR a split of the royalties received for the audio book (the contract will be for as long as the book is selling on the site).
Once the recordings are completed (and if you decide to record your own reading of the book, you can gain a lot of good tips from www.youtube.com videos on how to make the recordings and what settings you need), you will need to download them onto http://www.acx.com/ if you plan on selling through Audible.com. This site is very similar to what https://www.createspace.com/ is for Amazon.
Also here are some more factors to keep in mind for the recordings (obtained from acx’s guides):
ACX Audio Submission Requirements
Create top-quality audiobooks, and maximize your sales potential by providing the best overall listening experience.
Audiobooks uploaded to ACX must adhere to the following requirements. The ACX Quality Assurance team may reject titles that do not meet these standards, and their retail release may be delayed. The following requirements help ensure customers get a great listen.
Your submitted audiobook must:
be consistent in overall sound and formatting
include opening and closing credits
be comprised of all mono or all stereo files
include a retail audio sample that is between one and five minutes long
Each uploaded audio file must:
contain only one chapter/section per file, with the section header read aloud
have a running time no longer than 120 minutes
have room tone at the beginning and end and be free of extraneous sounds
measure between -23dB and -18dB RMS and have -3dB peak values and a maximum -60dB noise floor
be a 192kbps or higher MP3, Constant Bit Rate (CBR) at 44.1 kHz
More information on how to meet these requirements can be found below and in our Video Lessons & Resources, and many of the terms used here can be found in our Audio Terminology Glossary.
There is a lot of extra details they have on the site to further break it down and easy to complete.
And lastly, here is a sample of the research I found on the internet about marketing audio books and how audio books are having an impact on the market:
Data from the Association of American Publishers (APP) released this week showed U.S. book sales from January to October last year grew 0.5 percent, although overall revenue for publishers during the period was down 2.8 percent at $13.2 billion.
However, one area that is experiencing strong growth is audio books. The APP said audio book downloads increased by 38.1 percent in 2015 and services such as Audible, where users pay a monthly subscription to access a library of audio books, are growing.
“Audible membership growth is consistent at 40 per cent year on year, as more consumers realise how well audiobooks can fit into their busy lives,” explained Tracey Markham, country manager for Audible, to CNBC via email. “Audible members globally listened to 1.6 billion hours of audio content in 2015 (up from 1.2 billion in 2014).” — CNBC.com
While the week did start out like a blind, three-legged horse at the race track, I did find a way to make it productive in spite of the broken down computer. And I hope that this also opens your eyes to the possibility of audio books of your own and how really easy this process can be.
With any luck (I used up all my bad luck already right?) this will become a successful new venture in audio for me!!
April 6, 2017
A New Land to Behold… — Derek Barton
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Recently I have been toying with the idea of making maps for my fantasy worlds detailed in Consequences Within Chaos, the prequel Seyde in Blood and my upcoming sequel The Bleeding Crown.
There are a lot of debate on whether maps are a hindrance or a benefit to your story. I think that like any other writing tool or technique that a writer can use, it should be considered carefully for each story, thought out thoroughly and done on a case by case basis. Not every story will warrant a map.
The first important question to consider is: will it add to the story for the reader? Do you think that there may be too many names floating about in your prose or do you feel that the layout of your places are pretty straightforward for the reader to follow? When I read George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, I had to often look at the maps to keep the story straight in my head. For that matter, he had so many characters going all over the place and working with so many different characters, I even made an Excel Spreadsheet to keep the names straight! But Mr. Martin has such a great talent and incredible story that I forgave him as a reader and put in the extra effort.
Another question: Do you feel that the map is going to help you as the writer? Will it guide you in keeping all the facts straight and keeping an accurate idea of where each character might be? Or will a map also give you inspiration or show you where you have room to grow?
When you do decide, you will also face the dilemma of where are you going to get it? Are you going to draw it yourself and if so, do you have the right amount of cartography skill? If you are not taking up the challenge to create it, then what resources do you have to get one? There are a ton of “free map images” out on the net, but then you may have to make concessions or even possibly alterations to your story. Perhaps you might be wise to invest on getting it professional completed. There are also many websites that will provide map-making services or websites like Cartographers Guild that has a forum for questions and/or advice.
Overall, the questions surrounding the “to map or not to map” debate really comes down to time, resources and whether or not it will benefit you as a writer and/or the readers.
For myself, I have started my sequel and I think it will be a positive addition for the readers to see where the lands are and maybe help give the readers a better perspective of all the key lands that are involved in the story. My plan is to make a map of both worlds detailed in the books. And yes, I do plan on designing the maps myself. I designed several in my old Dungeon & Dragon days and found that it really provoked ideas and plots (usually evil plots to mess with the players!! haha)
I will keep you all in the loop and hopefully share my maps soon!!
