Moe Lane's Blog, page 142
October 18, 2024
GHOSTS ON AN ALIEN WIND will be coming to B&N. In paperback.
I’m keeping the e-version of GHOSTS ON AN ALIEN WIND off B&N because, honestly, I cannot give up the KU sales without better assurances that it’d be worth it. Amazon dominates the e-book market. This is a thing that is known.
I’m also in the process of seeing if I can get a good dust jacket out of this. I… do not know. Getting the paperback book prepped for B&N as it was was a right royal pain. But I’m also getting a smaller royalty from B&N than I will for Amazon*, so it might make a difference to have a hardcover with a dust jacket. We shall see!
Moe Lane
#commissionearned
*Why do it, then? Because some buyers don’t like Amazon. Like, a lot.
The WOLF MAN trailer.
I really need to sit down and watch INVISIBLE MAN. WOLF MAN is supposedly sort of in the same mode, and from the looks of the trailer, I might be here for it.
I also have some thoughts on a story that draws on the core assumption here, but that’s not really horror. Or, at least, the kind of horror as seen above.
#commissionearned
10/18/2024 Snippet, NEVER RETURN.
The joke may be too obscure.
Patreon!Well, you know, ignoring a problem never makes it better. Especially when a by-product of the problem is a pile of rotting rats.
Although ‘pile’ was the wrong word: the poor things had formed a rough circle before they died, and at least it didn’t look like they had suffered much. Their limbs were untwisted and there were no remains of froth or blood. If it weren’t for the smell, you might even think they were slipping.
“Hrm,” mused Marsh. “Where are the flies? — Do not say a word, Sunshine!”
I restrained my smirk with some difficulty. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean, Horace. But you are right. There should be flies. Flies, gnats, lice… maybe even a worm or two. But nothing is alive in this chamber, save us.”
I closed my eyes, to see how far this effect extended — then snapped them open, instantly. “Back the way we came, and stay together! Something noticed my presence, and it is… very large.”
Adventures in non-Amazon publishing!
Which is what I’ve been doing this morning. Conclusions: Draft To Digital is fairly comprehensive in getting a book together, including adding things like a table of contents or dedications for you, but their Extended Distribution royalty rates are horrible and I don’t think I can exclude Amazon from them. Barnes and Noble has a better royalty rate than I expected, but its book assembly process is far less useful than KDPs. I may still use it, but I’m first going to need to adjust the manuscript a good deal and possibly skip having a table of contents.
So that was what I did today so far. Illuminating, even if it made my brain a little sore.
Moe Lane
PS: Buy my books!
#commissionearned
The THE ELECTRIC STATE Netflix teaser trailer.
THE ELECTRIC STATE looks… pretty cool, actually. I like retro-future stuff. It also apparently is going to be less grim than the book, which… ah, well.
#commissionearned
October 17, 2024
Doing Field of Screams tonight!
Eldest Son had a great time last year, so we’re going back. We have decided that the ax-throwing and brain-tosses were… unnecessary for the haunted house / trail experience, or perhaps ‘superfluous.’ They certainly make the experience a bit cheaper, not that I begrudge the cash. It’s going to be a beautiful night and it’s a fun thing to do with your kid.
The ‘Do you wanna see some’ WEREWOLVES trailer.
It looks like WEREWOLVES is refreshingly free of the burdens of scientific, genetic, astronomical, and/or sociological rigor. Presumably it discarded those to make more room for the practical special effects, because they went old school for this one, brothers and sisters.
I mean, I’m sure they used CGI somewhere. Which is actually fine! There’s nothing wrong with CGI. But practical effects puts this on the list of me checking to see if my kid wants to see it.
Out December 6th. I guess Halloween and Christmas were too booked up?
10/17/2024 Snippet, NEVER RETURN.
Stenches!
Patreon!One of the advantages, and curses, of necromancy is that you become quite the connoisseur of stenches. Your nose becomes attuned to the differences between the various charnel bouquets, to the point where ghulmen are almost willing to admit that you might approach their level.
Unfortunately, oldmen do not get the ability to find rotting meat piquant. The best we can do is simply keep the thought of the smell away from our gorge. So when I sniffed the presence of recently-killed vermin coming from the local descent to the Antiquity, I did not enjoy the experience. Or if I did, it was the enjoyment of someone who had just literally sniffed out a trap.
“Hold!” I muttered to Curwin and Marsh, both of whom were there to give me some physical safety while I performed my exorcisms. I can defend myself, but not while staring into the Veil. “There is death ahead. Many small deaths.”
“Christ on His Throne,” Curwin muttered, blanching and crossing himself, and I hastened to correct him.
“Not small human deaths, Lieutenant. There are a great number of dead rats and squirrels in the passage ahead.” I sniffed. “A remarkable number of dead pigeons, too. They are just now starting to rot.”
Sent out a story today!
Haven’t done that in a while, but one of the things that I am trying to do every day now is dedicate an hour for building the business. It occurred to me that publishers still actually pay money for short stories, so why not throw one out there? I mean, it’s not like I don’t have a bunch of them by now.
We’ll see how it goes.
Moe Lane
PS: You can also help me build my business by buying my books.
Tweet of the Day, If You’ve Never Seen This FRASIER / COLUMBO crossover comic…
…you’re in for a treat. As I note below, the dialogue is pitch-perfect. This could have been an episode of FRASIER. Admittedly the last episode, but still.
— Neil Stevens (@presjpolkrta) October 17, 2024
#commissionearned
