Mario Acevedo's Blog, page 7

March 28, 2013

On the Road..

Jeanne here: Writing this from Las Vegas after a thirteen hour drive...should have taken eleven but we hit snow around the tunnel and it was practically a white-out until we got through Vail Valley. But here it's 80 degrees...staying with good friends Patty and Jay Salam and then on to Havasu to visit with the daughter.

Couple of quick hits-- think those who work on the publishing side of the business make big bucks? Think again...check out this link on what your editor really makes. Of course, this doesn't take into account any bonuses that might be paid for finding the next JK Rowling.

And for those of you who may have missed it, CBS Sunday Morning had a bit about erotica and featured Ellora's Cave and author Desiree Holt. It's interesting. The bit was called The Popularity of Mommy Porn, a title which I personally think has a big ick factor...

More next time, I promise

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Published on March 28, 2013 06:39

March 24, 2013

Nothing succeeds like success

Mario here:

What I'm reading this week: In The Woods by Tana French.

Getting published is an emotional boxing match, you versus Goliath. Unless you got an enchanted sling and rock in your backpack, expect a long, bruising battle. You pour yourself into your work, and it's so easy for an agent to say no. Once upon a time, they had to take minutes to scrawl a negative missive on your letter and stuff it into an SASE. Now with the magic of the Internet, rejection takes seconds. David Cameron performed an experiment to demonstrate how myopic the process can be. He copied a short story published in The New Yorker, thinking here is a work that had been vetted by the top pooch in the dog pile of American short fiction, and so it must easily pass any literary smell test. But no. Every magazine he submitted the story to, rejected it. Including The New Yorker. What did Cameron prove? That the system was unfair? Waa, waa! Like that's a surprise.

For the past couple of weeks, millions of computer bytes have been chewed up regarding Hugh Howey, the success of his novel Wool, and what that means in the publishing world. Many have hyper-ventilated in their claims that Howey's experience with Kindle was a game changer for writers. Namely that us hacks no longer needed the blessing of the New York Six to make money from our work. We can all get rich self-publishing our ebooks. After all, Howey turned down seven-figure advances. But not so fast. What Howey proved was to demonstrate that old truism: If people can make money from you, they will come knocking. And, like Howey, you can turn down their deals if you got plenty of fuck you money in your pocket. Howey hadn't done anything that others haven't tried. Some with better success than others. (A few friends have managed to quit their day jobs; others have yet to sell more than a half-dozen copies.) Howey happened to have the alignment of the stars, some luck, and a damn good story well told. Have self-pubbed ebooks changed the market? Only by 25%. That means 75% of book sales are still in traditional paper form.

Though we've pimped them before, to keep the pump primed of some deserving writers recently venturing into the self-pubbed ebook swamp, including our own Jeanne, please patronize these offerings. If you already have copies, then please post a review and hustle the books to your friends.

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Published on March 24, 2013 20:55

March 20, 2013

Signs of Spring

Jeanne here:

And one more thing. I put my first Kindle book up on Amazon...Cloud City...it's an Anna Strong novella and if you'd like to check it out, here's the link
and the cover:

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Writers spend a lot of time talking about money...and even more time thinking about it. On one of my loops, I came across this post by Lawrence Block on getting by on a writer's income. It was posted a year ago, but it's as relevant now as ever.

Here's just one quote that I can relate to:

Let Financial Need Be a Spur, Not a Sledgehammer
Mickey Spillane has told of the time when he was living on an offshore island, spending a lot of time on the beach and generally taking life easy. “I decided it would be fun to write a story,” he recalls, “but I couldn’t get an idea. I took long walks, I sat at the typewriter, but I couldn’t seem to come up with an idea. Then one day I got a call from my accountant. He said the money was starting to run short. And you know what? All of a sudden I started getting one idea after the other.”

Now I realize I'm lucky...I don't have to live on my income. It's a good thing really. But writing is certainly a crapshoot and one should never forget that!!

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This is so cool!! I joined!! Veronica Mars Kickstarter Program! I loved this show...

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Wondering what to do when you retire? Turn your house into a bookstore!

Ever wish you had a bookstore in your living room? It's not unusual for some people to have large home libraries, but those are private spaces; now, a Japanese couple has worked with Atelier Bow-Wow to design a home that's intended to be open to the public.

When the couple retired, they moved to Izu, a vacation area in Japan, and decided to build a home. They told the architects they wanted "a house with a bookshop and a cafe where neighbors and visitors can stop by," according to Japan Architecture Urbanism. A bedroom and guest room are tucked behind the shop and cafe.

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Last but not least: two Reluctant Leaguers with new books for your enjoyment
Jackie Morse Kessler

<style> <br /><br /><i>Jeremy, an infamous foot fetishist doomed to the quirkiest 12-step group ever, falls off the wagon spectacularly when he meets Beverly. She is a "beneather", one of an alien species living alongside us after rising from the depths of the ocean. She is perfect for Jeremy. Smart. Beautiful. Great feet. But does Beverly's reciprocation smack of a sinister and slimy secret? Will Jeremy's probation officer revoke his freedom before he meets a bitter, sweaty end? And more importantly, did someone remember to bring donuts and coffee to the 12-step group?<br /><br />In this short tale of aliens, foot fetishism and life choices gone horribly awry, Mark Henry returns to his roots, stirring up comedy and horror, muddling in a little sex and serving it up ice cold.</i><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div> Get it at Amazon<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Seafoam-ebook/d..." target="_blank"> here</a>

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Published on March 20, 2013 18:44

March 18, 2013

For less than a dollar

Mario here:

What I'm reading.

Just finishing Swamplandia by Karen Russell.

And have started On The Grind by Stephen J. Cannell.

Update your calendars! Denver Post U hosts the seminar, The Story Behind The Story. Local authors Manuel Ramos, Mark Stevens, and Sandra Dallas will discuss how they develop and research their stories. Wednesday, April 3, 5:30-7:30PM, at the Denver Post Auditorium. The event is free but you gotta sign up.

Over at Jane Freidman's Writer Unboxed, she gives us five publishing trends we scribes should heed. One of them is the usual: exercise due diligence with your contracts. With the rise and importance of ebook rights, you should see how and when you can get your digital rights back.

Thankfully, she also says that writers (and by that I understand to mean fiction writers), and especially new writers, should bag the whole author-building platform. Instead, write and write well.

What can you get for less than a dollar? Hell, it seems that won't even buy a candy bar. But you can get some darn good short fiction from writer pal, Bonnie Ramthun. 99 cents snags you her new short story, Blood Print.

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Published on March 18, 2013 09:29

March 13, 2013

Jim Butcher, New Star Trek, Much Ado About Nothing, and other good stuff

This week: a new book deal for Jim Butcher and some vidya's (homage to Aaron Ritchey) for you to enjoy.
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For you Jim Butcher fans from mediabistro:

The Dresden Files novelist Jim Butcher has inked a seven figure deal for three books in a new steampunk series.

The Cinder Spires series will begin with The Aeronaut’s Windlass. Publishers Weekly broke the news, reporting that Donald Maass Literary agent Jennifer Jackson negotiated the deal with Anne Sowards.

Here’s more from Butcher’s official site: At the Reddit AMA a few months ago, Jim said, “It’s kinda League of Extraordinary Gentlemen meets Sherlock meets Hornblower. There are goggles and airships and steam power and bizarre crystal technology and talking cats, who are horrid little bullies.” Jim is still writing the first book, The Aeronaut’s Windlass, so we don’t have a release date yet. We’ll let you know as soon as there’s something to announce!

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In case you ever wondered...video below from galleycat:

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I screwed up and thought I was publishing this THIS week and instead it got tacked on to last week's blog so I'm repeating it here:

Another geek treasure too good to miss!!

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And in case you missed this:

Coming to a theater near you in June!!!

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Yippee!!!

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No covers yet to share...hopefully soon!! In the meantime, a St. Patrick Day wish:

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Published on March 13, 2013 14:03

March 3, 2013

Hook me up

Mario here:

What I'm reading this week: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.

Weapons-grade pimpage for your edification.

Critique buddy Aaron Ritchey is presenting another of his awesome classes. Let his writing magic rub off on you.

Over at the ITW Big Thrill, check out my interview with the writing team of Maynard-Sims about their mystery thriller, Dark of the Sun. They've nailed the Caribbean ambience right on. You smell the open water and feel the sway of the boat as they navigate through murder.

Don't forget this Wednesday, March 6. A fundraiser for Apparatus Publishing at Flatiron Coffee, in Boulder. 6PM. Readings by Jesse Bullington, Julie Kazimer, and me.

Plus, I'm teaching a 4-week workshop for Lighthouse Writers, Writing Your First Mystery.

And now, our first Dirty Sanchez of Shame Award goes to Random House for their Hydra ebook publishing venue. We all know that ebook sales have exploded, and that ebook self-publishing has become a viable option for many authors. What Random House has done is sneaky-snaked into that opportunity by packaging an ebook-only deal that strikes many writers as too similar to smelly vanity-press contracts. You as a writer get a fifty-fifty split with the publisher (not too different from other ebook publishers), but it's a tar-baby life-of-copyright contract that you're stuck to. Plus, the only advance to you is that the costs of publication are applied against future royalties, meaning no out-of-pocket fees. But expenses are counted against net proceeds which means you might not ever see one dollar paid to you, and you have no control over those expenses. So beware.

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Published on March 03, 2013 19:54

February 27, 2013

Geek Alert

Hi all-- because I'm in the middle of rewrites for two books and just finished a short story for an upcoming anthology, this is a desperate effort to post something to keep Mario off my ass. Although I must say his last post was more entertaining rant than anything else. I especially liked:

If you want to make it big in this business, you need to write a good book. One that resonates with readers. The word-of-mouth thing. Every writer's blog, tweet, and YouTube video is done in the hopes that it'll go viral. But as any honest agent or editor will tell you, success in publishing depends as much on "and then God smiled" as it does anything else.

How true. Sad. But true.

Anyway, I have been looking forward to this movie so decided to share the following tidbits from insidemovies.com :

Back in December, we gave you an exclusive first look at Asa Butterfield and Harrison Ford as Ender Wiggin and Colonel Hyrum Graff in Summit’s upcoming sci-fi adaptation of Ender’s Game (due Nov. 1), based on the popular novel by Orson Scott Card. Today, a second official image has hit the net (via fansites like EnderWiggin.net), and it introduces us to Ender’s Battle School companion, Petra Arkanian, played by True Grit‘s Hailee Steinfeld.

In the still, Petra and Ender share a meal in the dining facility alongside their fellow Salamander Army (see those patches on their jumpsuits?) soldiers. That means this is still early on in Ender’s journey, as Salamander is the first army he is recruited to after his time as a Launchie. At the far left end of the table, you can see Bonzo Madrid (Moises Arias), the cruel commander of Salamander Army, who, in the novel, resents having the under-trained Ender fighting alongside him. Fortunately for Ender, Petra proves to be a true and loyal friend — not to mention an expert fighter.

The background of the photo also contains a few gems for super-fans. The scoreboard, which displays daily rankings of all Battle School recruits, looks to be broadcasting a battle between Rat Army and Asp Army, in what appears to be a spherical or circular Battle Room. Director Gavin Hood played coy about the look of the Battle Room when EW spoke with him in December. “I really hope that what we’ve done with [it] will be exciting to people,” he said.

I love the geek factor of this article.

Okay, back to work. I think I'll have covers in the next couple of weeks. I saw a rough of Cursed, the first in the Fallen Siren Series and really liked it. I'm still waiting for Blood Bond, the new Anna cover. You'll see them as soon as I do.

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Published on February 27, 2013 17:59

February 24, 2013

We discover "Discoverability"

Mario here:

What I'm reading this week: Ice Station by Matt Reilly.

Let me start by admitting a personal fault. Every time a gaggle of publishing experts confabs to lecture us writers what to do in this book business, my jaw clenches, my blood pressure kicks up a notch, and I start trolling gun websites for a good deal on a .357 magnum.

Over at the Writing on the Ether blog, there's a bunch of well-meaning (presumably) folks gassing on about "Discoverability," which is industry-speak for how do readers find your book? The article has a lot of links, most of which lead you to regurgitations of Twitter feeds. So even in this collection of eggheads you have to dig for meaningful (and understandable information). Thankfully, Lou Edgerly, a media journalist (from here in Denver no less), provides this nugget:

"Physical bookstores are still the place where most books bought are discovered. 31 percent of discovery is physical bookseller. Recommendations account for 14 percent. 11 percent is digital discovery. Social networks account for less than 2 percent."

I don't know where Edgerly got his numbers but they jibe with what we've posted here before, more-or-less. He doesn't break down recommendations between word-of-mouth and those you'll get from reviewers or book sellers, and we've mentioned before that word-of-mouth is the strongest driver of "Discoverability." We won't argue that co-op advertising in the bookstore is definitely a huge factor in reaching the elusive reader (and buyer of your book). Interestingly, he repeats what we've said before, that social media is way at the bottom.

The Writing on the Ether blog also feeds us this pronouncement: that 48 percent of book sales on Amazon are planned purchases. Previously, the theory was that readers were led by the nose by Jeff Bezo's algorithm-driven promotional schemes. Forty-eight percent is a significant number and this realization launched a rant about the need for us writers to connect with readers before they even get to Amazon. (As if our practice is to chase away readers with tear gas and cattle prods.) But it overlooks the obvious that the majority of book purchases (52%!) are made by readers browsing through Amazon. And there is where the Amazon-focused marketing ingredients like book covers, descriptions, and sales promotions come into play.

So what in the article gets my blood pumping and my fingers itching for the trigger? Because no where in the discussion does anyone ever say: If you want to make it big in this business, you need to write a good book. One that resonates with readers. The word-of-mouth thing. Every writer's blog, tweet, and YouTube video is done in the hopes that it'll go viral. But as any honest agent or editor will tell you, success in publishing depends as much on "and then God smiled" as it does anything else.

And now, for the good stuff.

Join us for the Apparatus fundraiser. 6PM, March 6, 2013, at Flatirons Coffee in Boulder, CO. Featuring readings in speculative fiction by Julie Kazimer, Jesse Bullington, John E, Stith, Brandon M. Herbert, and myself.

March 18, I start teaching my 4-week workshop, Writing Your First Mystery, at the Lighthouse Writers Workshop. Besides honing your story-telling skills, it's a great opportunity to join this truly awesome writers community.

April 10, at the LoDo Tattered Cover, Seattle writer pal, Jennie Shortridge will host a book signing for her latest novel, Love Water Memory. We can't wait.

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Published on February 24, 2013 19:50

February 21, 2013

News from the Whedonverse..

It's snowing. I guess it's a good thing my car is still in the shop. I won't be going out today. # # # #
It's been awhile, but this week I found three items from the Whedonverse to share!

'Castle': Gina Torres And Nathan Fillion Have A 'Firefly' Reunion In 'Real Housewives'-Style Case (EXCLUSIVE VIDEO)

The Huffington Post | By Laura Prudom Posted: 02/08/2013 9:01 am EST "Firefly" fans were all aflutter when news broke that Gina Torres would be visiting "Castle" for an on-screen reunion with the former Captain Mal Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) -- and thankfully the wait is almost over: The episode airs Monday, Feb 11 at 10 p.m. EST on ABC.

HuffPost TV has an exclusive preview of Torres and Fillion sharing the screen once more -- but this time, they're not exactly on the same team. Torres plays Samantha Foster, a "ruthless fashion mogul" in a "Real Housewives"-style reality show called "The Wives of Wall Street," and as you can see in the clip above, she's apparently not above getting her hands dirty.

Also appearing in the episode, titled "Reality Star Struck," are Gail O'Grady, Lachlan Buchanan and Heather Ann Davis. Fillion and Torres' fellow "Firefly" co-star, Adam Baldwin, also guest-starred on the show in Season 4.

Recently, Alan Tudyk (who played Torres' on-screen husband Wash in "Firefly") confirmed that the entire cast would be on board for an "Arrested Development" style revival, while Joss Whedon admitted that he'll "never really accept" the abrupt ending of the cult sci-fi series.

Now I must admit I missed the episode but the most interesting part of the article was the last paragraph....a Firefly reunion show!!! Yea, team!!

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Then we have this:

Sarah Michelle Gellar - "Crazy Ones" Tv Series - She will star with Robin Williams on CBS

Sarah Michelle Gellar to Star in Robin Williams’ CBS Comedy ’Crazy Ones’

The former "Buffy" star will play the Oscar winner’s daughter in the David E. Kelley workplace comedy pilot.

Sarah Michelle Gellar is coming back to the small screen — in a comedy.

The former Buffy the Vampire Slayer star will co-headline CBS’ workplace comedy Crazy Ones, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

The single-camera entry revolves around the dynamics between a father named Simon Roberts (Good Will Hunting Oscar winner Robin Williams) and his daughter and is set in the world of advertising.

Gellar will play Sydney Roberts, Simon’s daughter. She’s described as pretty, intense, driven, organized and burdened with being practical. Sydney is the creative director and life and soul of the Roberts and Roberts Advertising Agency at the center of the comedy. She wants to be her father but is too busy having to parent him.

Boston Legal’s David E. Kelley will pen the 20th Television single-camera pilot and executive produce alongside Dean Lorey, Bill D’Elia, John Montgomery and Mark Teitelbaum. Jason Winer (Modern Family, 1600 Penn) will direct the pilot.

Political Animals alum James Wolk also co-stars as Zach Cropper, a copywriter at the agency.

For Gellar, the role marks her second potential series-regular role in a half-hour comedy and comes a year after the CW axed her twin drama thriller Ringer. The actress previously shot an ill-fated comedy pilot for HBO in 2009 that failed to go to series...

Photo: Zap2it.com

I really liked Ringer and was sorry it got cancelled. I'm not sure how this is going to play out. David E. Kelley is a good writer and Boston Legal was just funny and weird enough to work. Maybe this will, too.

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From Wikipedia: Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D. is a planned American television series created by Joss Whedon and based on the Marvel Comics organization of the same name. It will be produced by Marvel Television and air on the ABC network, and will be set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, sharing continuity with the films in that franchise. A pilot, written by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen, and directed by Joss Whedon, has been given the green-light.

Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division.
Principal photography has wrapped on Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D., ABC’s pilot based on the Marvel Comics super-spy organization. On Feb 12, Showrunner Maurissa Tancharoen tweeted the photograph (at left) top to Instagram earlier today, along with the caption “That’s a wrap."
Don't have an air date yet, but you can bet, I'll be watching this one!
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I hope by next week to be able to post the cover for my new book--actually, maybe even the covers for both new books. We'll see.

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Published on February 21, 2013 04:41

February 17, 2013

Triple pimpage

Mario here:

What I'm reading: Woe To Live On by Daniel Woodrell.

Lots to pimp this week.

First on deck.

Fellow League of Reluctant Adults pal, Michele Bardsley, has recently released her first self-pubbed ebook, Sex, Doug, and a Rocky Road.

Here's the pitch--Ellie Johnson is a Las Vegas housewife dealing with the fallout of her husband’s affair with a big-boobed Australian. As she goes from married to unmarried, Ellie embarks with her best friend on a happiness journey is messy, chaotic, and fraught with ice cream and booze. A lot of booze. Then there’s Doug. You know, the ex-boyfriend who wants to take up with Ellie where they left off more than fifteen years ago. Sometimes, life is the luck of the draw. And sometimes, life is Sex, Doug, and a Rocky Road.

If you're familiar with Bardsley other work, better bring some oxygen to help you survive the laughs.

Next up at bat.

Huge kudos to fellow MWA member Tom Holliday, for at last honchoing his biography of America's great opera composer, Carlisle Floyd, onto the printed page. The local book launch party for Falling Up: The Days and Nights of Carlisle Floyd (Syracuse University Press), will be this Friday, February 22, at the Colfax, Tattered Cover. I love this cover photo. You can truly read Floyd's expression. Man, this composing is freakin' hard work!

And clean up.

Another MWA buddy, Manuel Ramos, will bring us another of his gritty Chicano noir stories, Desperado (Arte Publico Press), to the Colfax Tattered Cover, on April 11. The background in his cover art cracked me up with its chistes.

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Published on February 17, 2013 19:46

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