S.L. Luck's Blog

Time For An Agent

February 18, 2024

Morning Readers!

Wow! Since 2024 swept in, I’ve been busy. I’m not one for resolutions because I think admirable goals are something that should be intended every day, not just close to Christmas and not just in the fledgling weeks of a new year. I get itchy if I don’t write every day. That nagging feeling that I’ve missed something important steals my sleep, so I write and I’m able to snooze at the end of the day. Those who know me know I love sci-fi and horror and any genre of well-written book from about 1920-1990, those times when people—including writers—weren’t stuck to cellphones and had to read and experience life to write about it competently. The romantic side of me loves rom com movies, not books, because I have yet to read a romance book that didn’t make me cringe with writing that focused solely on fortuitous action rather than intelligent prose. They read cringy to me and I think so many romance books underestimate the reader’s intelligence. Slap a little soft porn on a twenty-year-old billionaire with daddy issues and a young advertising novice with body issues and BOOM, you have a book THAT SELLS. Do any of the readers actually believe this is real? Of course not. They’re intelligent enough to know it’s not but they read it because it doesn’t take effort and, really, there is little out there that plays to both their romantic ambitions and their intellectual abilities. That said, I have continued to write the sequel to Project Domain, tentatively called Project Tundra. The book is now about 65% completed. And while I have never attempted to write two books at one time, I began the new year by dipping my toes into the rom com genre. In the last six weeks in which I wrote another quarter of the sci-fi book, I also completed about a quarter of a book titled To My Future Daughter. Incredibly easy and fun to write. (Our heroine does not meet a billionaire or a cowboy or a bodybuilder, for the record. Nor does said man come to save her because she is perfectly capable of doing that herself.) Both books will be completed this year. Though I have never contacted an agent for any of my books, I’m thinking this is the year I try. With 2 contracts from Amazon, a backlist of 4 completed novels, 2 soon-to-be-completed novels, and 4 additional novels drafted but not yet edited that may one day see the light of day if I let them out of the closet, it might be time. Redeemer reached #7 in Canada again last week and my books have been added to more book clubs and more people are recognizing my writing. I admit, I haven’t enjoyed promoting my books on social media. I have a degree in marketing and worked in marketing for 15 years, but I’ve always found it easier to promote someone or something else rather than myself. I cringe when I do it. The whole Pick me! Pick me! is so reminiscent of school days when I was the Coke-bottle glasses kid that it’s super awkward for me to try, even if I am wholly convinced my books are just getting better and better and worth attention. Any way, this is the update for now. Thanks for reading my books and talking about my books and lifting me up to help me reach those goals on the top shelf. I simply couldn’t do it without you. Until next time Dear Readers, keep reading . . .

© enginakyurt, 123RF Free Images

Big Win! Another Book Selected for Prime Reading!

November 19, 2023

Hey Readers! Been a while, again. I was sick for a bit there and then we took a much needed vacation and now I’m back at it. My daily writing routines haven’t stopped. (4:30 a.m. because I love mornings and it’s the only time of day I can find the time.) My current project, a semi-sequel to Project Domain, is about halfway done and should (fingers crossed), be complete in spring which is good timing because a few days ago Amazon selected Project Domain for its Prime Reading Program. This is HUGE for writers like me. Out of 50 million books, Amazon selects between 1,200 – 1,500 for its exclusive program. This represents about a 0.00003% chance of being chosen. It’s that selective. Not only will Project Domain be part of this program for 6 months, its yet-to-be-named sequel should be out before Project Domain‘s inclusion in the program ends. It’s actually very good timing. This is so incredibly good for my books.

Earlier this year, Interference had been selected by Amazon for this program and I’m thinking it must have been a good test because Project Domain has been selected soon after. I am not permitted to explain the specifics of my contracts with Amazon but essentially, inclusion in this program pushes my books to millions of people. I receive a flat fee for this. Whether one person or millions of people actually read the book, I get paid the same which is great for Amazon and mysterious yet immensely positive for authors. Amazon maintains the metrics for the push out and uses its algorithms to put my books in the appropriate hands and figure out what they should pay me for it.

The purpose-driven people who talk to me about my books are always interested in the process I undertake to achieve my goals. Others ask where I get my ideas. About half inevitably ask about how much money I make from these agreements and the overall sales of my book. Not only because I’ve signed a confidentiality agreement with Amazon but also because the question lessens the value of creation and dedication, I will say it’s only my business and that of the companies that pay me. Non-readers almost always envision “real” authors as those driving Ferraris and having serving staff. Real readers know that real authors are the ones dedicated to the craft, chipping away at a big literary block at quiet hours for years and years on end. I have no choice to keep chipping. Writing is my thing, and that of many other authors. So hats off to all of those creative souls that keep us up at night, turning pages by flashlight. (And even if I happened to have billions in my bank, I would still drive a minivan because I love them, haters be dammned

I’ll leave you with a YAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY I’m so happy and a reminder that authors need reviews. The more reviews I have, the more likely algorithms are in my favor, so please leave me a review on Amazon when you can. I would be forever grateful. (Note that Amazon will NOT publish your review if you say you know me, whether you do or don’t.)

Until next time, Dear Readers, keep reading. . .

Book Clubs and Old Killers

Long time, Dear Readers! No excuse except we’ve had an incredibly busy summer with our kids’ activities and I started a new job which I absolutely LOVE. I try my hardest to get up around 4:30 a.m. each morning so I can write before I have to get the house ready for the day and it’s mostly working. Some days it’s closer to 5 but as long as there’s progress every day, I’m generally a happy camper. I’m loving the newest book I’m writing, now about halfway through, and there are other little stories (or novels) fluttering around in my head, sometimes smashing into me at the most unexpected moments. Really, I feel like stories are everywhere, in everything, and in everyone. Just never enough time to slam all of them out. But that’s life, I suppose.

One super cool thing to share is my books have been selected for several book clubs over the last few months, most from complete strangers yet. It feels incredible to know that I’m inch-worming my way onto bookshelves across North America, book club by book club, stranger by stranger, Loyal Reader by Loyal Reader. Thank you.

I can also share that Project Domain had also made it to # 3 in Canada last week. Ratings high, low, or medium, I just want my stories read by as many people as possible. For those of you who have read some (or all) of my books, the biggest, most make-a-girl-scream favour you could impart on me is the gift of your Amazon review. The more reviews I have, the more Amazon unlocks advertising opportunities for me and the more likely I am to be selected for other worldwide reading programs, as I have been with Interference. I’m still thrilled over being included in its Prime Reading Program.

Lastly, for all of you looking for an incredible new Stephen King (my other love besides my husband) novel, be sure to pick up Holly, which hit bookstores just over 2 weeks ago. Another amazing King read. Pace and description will have you reading long into the night, and you’ll sidestep elderly people forevermore. (I actually did this on a walking trail this week, thinking . . . look at that limp and stoop…this is where I die. Hahahahahahaaa…..er….ummm.… *Speeds up.)

Until next time, Dear Readers, keep reading . . .

The Amazing Asimov

Yesterday we went to my husband’s hometown for a town-wide garage sale. We absolutely didn’t need anything, of course, but spent hours walking the town with our kids. Even the library participated. My husband knows me and the moment he saw tables on the library’s lawn, he dutifully turned into the parking lot. I’m not sure the truck was even stopped before I got out. (Yes, it excites me that much.) As I sped toward the smiling librarian, my youngest called out, “Mommy, you have twenty minutes.” (She knows me too.) I quickly snatched up books I’ve already read but didn’t own (Marquez ), and loaded my arms with Atwood, Tolkien, and a few Asimovs. Then the librarian told me all of the books were free but that they are gladly accepting donations. Boom! Every Asimov flew into my arms. To date I’ve read only Issac Asimov’s I, Robot, but my love for science fiction—spurred by Bradbury—is feverish. I’m already a few chapters into Asimov’s Tales of the Black Widowers, and loving it. With so many books in my hands yesterday, I had to do a little Googling on the writer about to whip me around the universe. I learned that in 1921, Asimov and 16 of his brothers and sisters all developed double pneumonia but only Asimov survived. (That poor family!) He went on to have a younger brother and sister and Asimov himself became a Professor of Biochemistry at Boston University. And we was a prolific writer, penning hundreds of books, hundreds of short stories, and 90,000 letters.(!!!) I’m at 9 books and a few dozen short stories. Even if I manage to give “social” media the cold shoulder, I’ll never write this much because, well, life, but the idea of this kind of generation is something to aspire to. Because practice makes better.

Until next week, Dear Readers, keep reading . . .

Back and to the tundra I go!

June 11, 2023

It’s been too long, Dear Readers. The quick and dirty is that we had 2 funerals in the family, months of sickness, and I also went back to the office after a long hiatus (AKA travelling the world). I have been writing, however, and am happy to report I’m decently into my next novel. The yet-to-be-named novel is a semi-sequel to my last novel, Project Domain. I’ve found that I love squishing sci-fi and horror together with a good dose of community. Never as good as King or Bradbury, of course, but baby steps in that direction. My current project takes place far up north in Nunavut, in the fictional village of Bluffer’s Holm, some clicks west of Iqaluit on Frobisher Bay. It’s cold and isolated. Living is hard and expensive. But if you can ignore the sounds from the so-called weather station near Bluffer’s Holm, you might find you don’t have a power bill this month. And those groceries that cost Iqalummiut three times more than anywhere else in Canada might just be on sale for five times less in Bluffer’s Holm. If you can pretend, that is. Even to yourself. In this part of the Canadian tundra, silence is survival.

This story is a mixture of military meets aliens meets the great Canadian north. And a surprise guest that both parties team up to capture. I’m having fun writing it.

As for other news, Amazon selected my book, Interference, for its Prime Reading program. Out of the millions and millions of books (20? 50?) on Amazon, only roughly 1400 books are selected across all genres. (This figure fluctuates but these are the numbers from my last peek.) I was beyond thrilled to be selected as it’s an incredible honor and says my book doesn’t completely suck, so that’s something. (I think artists live on reassurance, and I’m no exception.) Anyway, I promise to write more often, as many of you have asked. I’m here and I’m writing and I’m always, always, grateful to YOU, my Dear Readers.

Until next time, friends, keep reading . . .

Another book done!

June 8, 2022

Hell yeah! I officially just finished my latest novel, Project Domain. It’s been incredible to see my growth from my first novel to this one. Where, unlike when I was just starting out as a baby writer 20 years ago, I now KNOW if something is good. I don’t question it like I used to, nor do I fret over the same things. Of course I still worry (the debilitating Imposter’s Syndrome will probably never get off my back) but now I know, or think I know, where my worries are unfounded or just plain ridiculous. What I’m saying is that this is a good one, people. If you’re a romance or western reader, this might not be for you, but if you like sci-fi and small-town people doing big things, this one’s for you.

Not entirely sure if I’ll self-pub this one yet. I’m going to sit on it for a while and decide. I find publishing in general both exciting and exhausting and I’m never really sure if I’m doing it “the right way”, but as long as people are reading my books, then that’s all right with me.

As for what’s next, I have a few ideas. I could write a money-maker (romance), but my heart is really not into that. A rom-com with women realizing they’ve had their own power all along and don’t need someone to save them could potentially be a thing for me, but I lean toward Bradbury and King and have more suspense/thriller/sci-fi ideas than anything else. Whatever the case, I’m not happy unless I’m writing, so I’ll dabble in the next few days and see where my heart leads me.

In the meantime, stay tuned, Dear Readers and read on . . .

There’s something under the city . . .

Project Domain

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Almost Done!

May 19, 2022

Whew! Twelve days until Project Domain—my latest novel about an alien detention center under a landfill in Ontario—is due to my editor. I reached and smashed the 80,000 word target a few days ago, making this the fastest novel I’ve ever written. 4 months, give or take a couple of weeks without sacrificing quality. This is important to me because I’m part of many writing groups and one thing I notice a lot is authors cranking “books” out every month, some every WEEK. I use quotation marks here because no matter how good an author is, I don’t see a novel-length manuscript being slapped down with craft that quickly. It’s important to note that many of these authors are making good money doing this, pushing the “writing to market” adage, with some (if not many) openly stating that you don’t need to be a good writer, just a good marketer.

Well shit.

My author’s heart constricts a little when I read this. It suggests that books are no longer about the reader-writer relationship or story or getting lost in creation, but about money and convincing readers they don’t need craft but algorithm-like content processed, canned, and presented, no more. How personal is that? Many writers would skewer me for this, as each writer’s journey truly is her or his own, but when you take the craft and condense it like that, I think you lose the good stuff. The stuff that makes a book a keeper. The stuff that flits into readers’ minds years afterward.

Could I crank novels out like that? Sure. Do I want to?

I’d rather be poor.

On that note, Dear Readers, you have been great to me. Redeemer made it to #12 last weekend, before falling back and settling again. As my oldest book, it has the most reviews, and so is more likely to find more readers. I can’t state enough how important your reviews are, so if you’ve read Redeemer, Interference, or Lords of Oblivion, please tell Amazon what you think about it.

Lastly, my books have been snagged through Barnes and Noble by some readers, but until I have more of a backlist (that means more books), I really have just been concentrating on Amazon. As an indie author, I have to distribute my books myself and, I tell you, it’s a ton of work. Worth it, but a ton of work. I’m thinking I’ll go wider later in the year, but we’ll see how it goes until then.

Until next time, Dear Readers, thanks for sticking with me. Stay tuned and read on . . .

Audio-oh-oh-ohhhh!

May 2, 2022

Hello Readers! Happy Monday to all of you! While I intended to keep you updated on my project, the last few weeks have been incredibly difficult for my family, so my heart just couldn’t allow my brain to write. We had an unexpected passing in the family that whacked us every way possible, but I’m now ready to return to my blog. Life kind of takes you wherever it wants to, doesn’t it? And we just have to strap ourselves in and hope for the best. (Sigh.)

As for my newest manuscript, Project Domain, I’m happy to say it will be ready in a few weeks. Rain or shine, life or not, I have to submit the manuscript to my editor at the end of May and I haven’t missed a deadline yet because even when the sun is down and the sky is thundering, my solace is reading and writing. I step inside stories and shut the door to chaos. And when I really get into the groove, nothing else exists. Once this project is done, I’m debating whether to resurrect the book I wrote for my Master’s dissertation or to write a story in a completely different genre. I have so many ideas and never enough time to complete them all at once. (If only.)

I’ve also been looking quite a bit at audio lately. Through ACX I can have my books narrated, which I’m seriously considering. I’ve always believed that every bit of learning is growth, even if it doesn’t always work out the way I wanted. I think if I pursue audio the hardest part is going to be setting my expectations a little lower. Not only do I read e-books and paperbacks every day, but when I’m not physically reading a book, I’m listening to one. I always have an audio book, usually several, on the go at any given time so I’ve come to love certain narrators. Could I have them narrate my books? Yes. But as a newish published author, I don’t have a NY Times Best Seller budget yet. One day I will, but I’m not there at the moment. So part of my debate is whether I wait and get who I want or pursue audio sooner and possibly settle for a narrator who—no matter how good he/she is—may never curl my toes like the ones who currently whisper in my ear. We’ll see.

In the meantime, fill your brains with words and let the magic happen. Read on, Dear Readers. Stay tuned . . .

Flea Steps and Elephants

April 12, 2022

Happy Tuesday Dear Readers!

It’s been a while and there is zero excuse except that I’ve been writing up a storm to complete my next novel. I’m happy to say that this project will be done in May (yay!) and that (yes, I say this with all of my books) this is my favorite one yet. Obviously, practice makes better. I won’t say perfect because I’m no Bradbury but I’m walking itty bitty steps in his direction. Like ant steps. Or flea steps. Me the flea and happy to be as long as I’m headed in the right direction. Anyway, Project Domain (tentatively titled) about an alien remand center under a landfill in Ontario, has been super fun to write and I’m excited to get your opinion when it comes out. This one is less paranormal than the others, much more Canada’s Area 51 meets small city warriors. I seriously enjoy diving into that world every single day, and I hope you do, too.

In other news, Amazon has been taking my money and I’m happily handing my thin wallet over. Internet algorithms didn’t exist when I got my marketing degree, so I’ve had to learn how to market my work, which has been as fun as acid in a paper cut. This is not such a big deal for authors signed with traditional publishers but for independently published authors like myself, this is massive. The learning curve is more of a learning roller coaster with dead ends, track jumps, and broken seat belts. I’m still hanging on and I think I’m going to have to clutch my seat belt for quite some time before I get the hang of it. I’ve realized that my biggest problem is marketing myself. (Ewww. Cringe. Eye roll.) When I worked as a marketing director, I could promote anything to great success but marketing me? My work? Literally the most uncomfortable thing for me. I have to get past that, but I think that will forever be a work in progress.

Lastly, most of you know I’m an incredibly avid reader. I read across all genres, but typically lean toward classics, as I feel they have the most to teach me. That said, I occasionally dabble in non-fiction and just started the book The Elephant Whisperer, by Lawrence Anthony, a conservationist in Africa. Generally I wait until I’m finished reading to recommend a book but this one grabbed me from word one. If you’re looking for something different and if you like learning about different cultures, countries, and experiences, this is a read for you. Until next time, thanks for reading. I appreciate your eyes and your time, always. Read on, Dear Readers.

February Is I Love To Read Month

February 1, 2022

Happy February Readers!

Did you know that February is I Love To Read Month? Yes, there’s a day and a month and an hour for everything, but this one is cool because no matter what your tastes are, there is something for you. And if you go to your local library, you can fall in love, or sail the ocean, or solve a mystery for FREE! What’s better than that? For me, I love books so much that when I find a new author or story that I like, I feel like I’ve won the lottery. Really. And when I read something I love…BOOM! Magic. I’m transported and nothing can scoop me from my new world. I’m a huge fan of anthologies because they give you the opportunity to test new authors without the time commitment of longer novels. I find a lot of new favorites here, especially in older works. I just discovered Sinclair Lewis’ It Can’t Happen Here by reading The 40s: A Story of a Decade, an anthology from The New Yorker. The same anthology gave me massive appreciation for jazz legend Duke Wellington and had me cringing at French architect Le Corbusier‘s massive ego. Fascinating stuff.

I’m happy to report that I’m finally getting the hang of Amazon. (I think!) I might have a degree in Marketing, but the tools of today are so much different than the tools of 2004. (Yikes I’m old!) Anyway, I took some classes at the beginning of January and watched my impressions, sales, and KDP page reads soar. Felt pretty good, if I may say so, but there’s a ton more to learn so I’m taking it day by day.

Lastly, my newest project, yet to be titled, is going really well. I’ve said this of my other works, but this one is my favorite so far. I’m finding that I love venturing to the secret facility under a garbage dump in Ontario more than even my morning coffee. Aiming to have this one done by April-ish.

Until next time, dear Readers, pick up a book, any book this month and give your creative brain a little adventure. (My books are patiently waiting for you.) Stay tuned…