Aaron Polson's Blog, page 33
March 10, 2011
Writer, Believe in Thyself: A Pep-Talk for Writers
Here's your pep-talk for the day: You are awesome.
You can tell stories no one else can. Your ideas are good, and with a little work, they'll be great. Keep working. Keep writing. Edit one more time before submitting that story. Don't quit.
Rejections? Let me show you how many rejections I've received (and I stopped counting a year ago). Your brain will hurt. Your eyes will dry up and crumble to dust. Those gates are awfully tiny, folks, and editors can only let so many stories inside. Have I squeezed a story or two through the eye of a needle? Maybe. But an awful lot of them are lying dead in the desert.
Agents won't give you the time of day? They have to eat, too. They have to sell the big books, the ones with fat advances because, chances are, most books won't earn out and make royalties. Remember that needle's eye? It just got smaller. Keep trying. Write a new book. Go it alone. Be blood, bold, and resolute. Laugh a siege to scorn...yes, MacDuff killed MacBeth, but the tyrant had a good run, didn't he?
Sour reviews? Puh-leeeze. Everyone has an opinion and the internet lets them amplify it. Water off your back, dear writer. Keep writing. Keep climbing. They win when you quit. Forgive your haters. Move on.
Sounds tough?
Of course.
But you're tough, too.
You won't give up.
You've already won.
You can tell stories no one else can. Your ideas are good, and with a little work, they'll be great. Keep working. Keep writing. Edit one more time before submitting that story. Don't quit.
Rejections? Let me show you how many rejections I've received (and I stopped counting a year ago). Your brain will hurt. Your eyes will dry up and crumble to dust. Those gates are awfully tiny, folks, and editors can only let so many stories inside. Have I squeezed a story or two through the eye of a needle? Maybe. But an awful lot of them are lying dead in the desert.
Agents won't give you the time of day? They have to eat, too. They have to sell the big books, the ones with fat advances because, chances are, most books won't earn out and make royalties. Remember that needle's eye? It just got smaller. Keep trying. Write a new book. Go it alone. Be blood, bold, and resolute. Laugh a siege to scorn...yes, MacDuff killed MacBeth, but the tyrant had a good run, didn't he?
Sour reviews? Puh-leeeze. Everyone has an opinion and the internet lets them amplify it. Water off your back, dear writer. Keep writing. Keep climbing. They win when you quit. Forgive your haters. Move on.
Sounds tough?
Of course.
But you're tough, too.
You won't give up.
You've already won.
March 9, 2011
WIP Wednesday Gets Around
Let's start in Australia, where this:
has just been released. Not only is the cover art delicious (I promised scary, right?), but lookie here...I'm sharing a TOC with Terry Dowling. (I'm humbled, to be sure.) My little story, "The Weight of Children's Stories" is about stories (and caves, and monsters, and...oh just read it). Grab a copy in PDF or lovely dead tree edition.
On to the United Kingdom, which happens to be where the incredibly talented Cate Gardner lives. I've finally formatted and uploaded Strange Men in Pinstripe Suits to the Kindle store, and you know what? Cate's generously priced the book at 99 cents. Yippee! Check it out on Amazon.
Okay, so my WIP takes place in New Mexico, way back in the territorial days. 1881 to be exact, just about a year after the arrival of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad. Welcome again to the world of the Sons of Chaos (first seen in Black Medicine Thunder). I don't want to give too much away:
The thing had him by the throat, and the pistol fell with a thunk to the wooden floor.
So should I mention the "thing" takes out his heart? I did say scary, didn't I?
has just been released. Not only is the cover art delicious (I promised scary, right?), but lookie here...I'm sharing a TOC with Terry Dowling. (I'm humbled, to be sure.) My little story, "The Weight of Children's Stories" is about stories (and caves, and monsters, and...oh just read it). Grab a copy in PDF or lovely dead tree edition.On to the United Kingdom, which happens to be where the incredibly talented Cate Gardner lives. I've finally formatted and uploaded Strange Men in Pinstripe Suits to the Kindle store, and you know what? Cate's generously priced the book at 99 cents. Yippee! Check it out on Amazon.
Okay, so my WIP takes place in New Mexico, way back in the territorial days. 1881 to be exact, just about a year after the arrival of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad. Welcome again to the world of the Sons of Chaos (first seen in Black Medicine Thunder). I don't want to give too much away:
The thing had him by the throat, and the pistol fell with a thunk to the wooden floor.
So should I mention the "thing" takes out his heart? I did say scary, didn't I?
March 8, 2011
I am a Social Animal
Thank Zeus for the InterwebTM. I think many modern writers can maintain their sanity because of the connection with other writerly types which may not have existed before. We all have dreams and doubts and wishes and fears, but with technology, we can share them and not feel so alone. Granted, it allows mean people to be mean with impunity (e.g., anonymous comments), but all in all, I think the added interaction is a win for the human race.I happened to hear an interview with David Brooks, author of The Social Animal, yesterday on NPR. I caught only about half, but he had things to say about interacting with students in the classroom, a topic which cut close to my heart. The rest of the interview is worth a listen.
Where would we be without each other?
Thanks for the support, encouragement, and swift kicks to the buttocks when necessary. I wouldn't have stuck with writing without a little help from my fellow animals.
Enough of this sappy crap. I promise I'll share something scary tomorrow. Promise.
March 7, 2011
Monday Meanderings & Ebook Week
So, it's Read an E-book Week? Who knew? I suppose I should mention I've uploaded my serialized novella, Black Medicine Thunder and the Sons of Chaos, to Kindle. The e-book version is available with two bonus stories and a sample chapter from Loathsome, Dark & Deep for 99 cents. How much did you pay for your last cup of coffee?
Plenty of other delicious e-bookage out there, too, including The Bottom Feeders, The House Eaters, the aforementioned Loathsome, Dark & Deep, and Rock Gods and Scary Monsters.
Because it is really about tearing down boundaries between writer/reader, each one of my indie published books (that would be self-published, wink-wink) is priced at 99 cents.
Speaking of indie-publishment, Strange Publications is taking pre-orders for Anthony J. Rapino's Uprooted chapbook through next weekend. Grab it and all the goodness for only $6. Real paper! Real art! Really good (and spooky) writing! Price includes world-wide shipping. You should stop by Anthony's new website and kick the tires, too. I hear there are contests.
Formatting is coming along for Cate Gardner's collection, Strange Men in Pinstripe Suits, and I hope to have that available for the Kindle (are you ready for this) for 99 cents by week's end.
Whew. So much to read. So affordable. So why not?
(I think I just channeled Monty Hall.)
Plenty of other delicious e-bookage out there, too, including The Bottom Feeders, The House Eaters, the aforementioned Loathsome, Dark & Deep, and Rock Gods and Scary Monsters.
Because it is really about tearing down boundaries between writer/reader, each one of my indie published books (that would be self-published, wink-wink) is priced at 99 cents.
Speaking of indie-publishment, Strange Publications is taking pre-orders for Anthony J. Rapino's Uprooted chapbook through next weekend. Grab it and all the goodness for only $6. Real paper! Real art! Really good (and spooky) writing! Price includes world-wide shipping. You should stop by Anthony's new website and kick the tires, too. I hear there are contests.
Formatting is coming along for Cate Gardner's collection, Strange Men in Pinstripe Suits, and I hope to have that available for the Kindle (are you ready for this) for 99 cents by week's end.
Whew. So much to read. So affordable. So why not?
(I think I just channeled Monty Hall.)
March 3, 2011
The Price Wars
Diving into what Mr. Hyde calls "sweet tasty fruits" of ebookage, I've found numerous opinions on the price of ebooks. Some authors argue that lowering prices devalues a writer's work. Okay, point taken. While I understand the philosophy behind charging more than 99 cents for a book, I also know the market. Cheap sells, especially for unknowns.
I'm an unknown author. Glad to meet you.
When I release We are the Monsters and Borrowed Saints, I want to charge a price that is a) fair to me and b) fair to the market. My goal (remember) is to tell stories. I don't want to put up a barrier between me and a potential reader.
So, do you go with the market or go with your heart? What is a fair price? What would you pay?
(and hey, there's a survey thingy in the upper right-hand corner)
I'm an unknown author. Glad to meet you.
When I release We are the Monsters and Borrowed Saints, I want to charge a price that is a) fair to me and b) fair to the market. My goal (remember) is to tell stories. I don't want to put up a barrier between me and a potential reader.
So, do you go with the market or go with your heart? What is a fair price? What would you pay?
(and hey, there's a survey thingy in the upper right-hand corner)
March 2, 2011
WIP Wednesday Gets Edited
I'm finalizing edits for We are the Monsters, and just landed on this paragraph:
My tiny penlight beam glinted on the rippled surface of the water. It wasn't exactly as still as glass, but calm. Tranquil enough it was hard to imagine any bodies under the surface, whether it be a boy drowned fifty years before or the water-logged corpse of Nate Nemechek. Even at night, deep blue night when the ghost and demons of the world were to rise and shamble about, dragging their carrion path across the world, I couldn't feel it.
It's a weird little book, but I like it.
Other things I like? How about an idea for a second Sons of Chaos novella?
(shhhh...don't disturb Fred while he's at work)
My tiny penlight beam glinted on the rippled surface of the water. It wasn't exactly as still as glass, but calm. Tranquil enough it was hard to imagine any bodies under the surface, whether it be a boy drowned fifty years before or the water-logged corpse of Nate Nemechek. Even at night, deep blue night when the ghost and demons of the world were to rise and shamble about, dragging their carrion path across the world, I couldn't feel it.
It's a weird little book, but I like it.
Other things I like? How about an idea for a second Sons of Chaos novella?
(shhhh...don't disturb Fred while he's at work)
March 1, 2011
The February Report
February was busy. You've all read, I'm sure, of my 2677 edits for The Saints are Dead. Yes, most of them made the book better....but whoa. Just whoa. I wrote several new stories in February ("What Julie's Dad Doesn't Know" and "The North Lantern" being my favorites) and managed my Write 1 / Sub 1 goal of a story submitted a week.
Three stories "sold" in February: "Poe's Blender" to Death Rattle, "Upon Leaving the Candy Factory" to Bourbon Penn, and "The Ballad of Arkady and Nadia" to 100 Stories for Queensland. The latter was a "sale" sale, meaning no money flowed to the writer because it is a charity antho.
On to the Big Experiment...
Because I believe in full disclosure, I present:
Well...I won't be retiring any time soon, but a few things of note:
One of those Bottom Feeders sales was a gift. So I sold eleven legit copies for Kindle, plus one through Smashwords.February's numbers represent the most copies of The Bottom Feeders I've sold since releasing the book last April. The trend is rising from seven last month. Short story collections don't traditionally do as well as novels (in any format), but I'm not complaining. The Bottom Feeders had a crazy little bounce this weekend, selling five copies between Friday and Monday. Not big numbers for some of the Kindle people, but I can't explain the bump. I'll be watching this closely. After all, it is an experiment.
I hope to have We are the Monsters ready by the end of March. It's a novella (35K), and they are traditionally hard to place, after all. Jekyll and Hyde are welcome to live in one skin as long as they want, because I've decided I want one thing out of writing: to tell stories.* To do this, you have to have an audience who wants to listen. Anything which puts a barricade between me and an audience is bad form (did you hear that, Hyde?). In addition, I want my "craft" to be top form so the audience keeps listening (keep subbing to those fine markets, Jekyll).
*wait...I've sort of known that all along.
Three stories "sold" in February: "Poe's Blender" to Death Rattle, "Upon Leaving the Candy Factory" to Bourbon Penn, and "The Ballad of Arkady and Nadia" to 100 Stories for Queensland. The latter was a "sale" sale, meaning no money flowed to the writer because it is a charity antho.
On to the Big Experiment...
Because I believe in full disclosure, I present:
Well...I won't be retiring any time soon, but a few things of note:One of those Bottom Feeders sales was a gift. So I sold eleven legit copies for Kindle, plus one through Smashwords.February's numbers represent the most copies of The Bottom Feeders I've sold since releasing the book last April. The trend is rising from seven last month. Short story collections don't traditionally do as well as novels (in any format), but I'm not complaining. The Bottom Feeders had a crazy little bounce this weekend, selling five copies between Friday and Monday. Not big numbers for some of the Kindle people, but I can't explain the bump. I'll be watching this closely. After all, it is an experiment.
I hope to have We are the Monsters ready by the end of March. It's a novella (35K), and they are traditionally hard to place, after all. Jekyll and Hyde are welcome to live in one skin as long as they want, because I've decided I want one thing out of writing: to tell stories.* To do this, you have to have an audience who wants to listen. Anything which puts a barricade between me and an audience is bad form (did you hear that, Hyde?). In addition, I want my "craft" to be top form so the audience keeps listening (keep subbing to those fine markets, Jekyll).
*wait...I've sort of known that all along.
February 28, 2011
Today, I'm Dr. Jekyll
So here's the Jekyll and Hyde of it all...I've been of two minds lately: one side of me says "go, go, go" with the self-publishing. The cold hard fact is that people are really making money...some of them good money...publishing directly to the Kindle. How long will this last? No one knows, but "infinite growth" is impossible; history is filled with examples. So Mr. Hyde (he's the ugly one) wants to jump in (er, cash in) while he can.
But is he really the ugly one?
Dr. Jekyll is the half who wants to keep "improving my craft" and strives for professional membership in the HWA and/or the SFWA. He's the one who made me hammer away at my little stories until landing that (cue hautboys) Shimmer acceptance. But wait...wasn't it Jekyll who gave birth to Hyde in the first place? Isn't Hyde just another side of his personality?
What does Jekyll really want? Awards? Accolades? Acceptance from the cool kids who get to play "professional writer"? Are those things really any different than cashing in on the Kindle craze? Damn it, Jekyll! You made this monster, now man up and do something about him!
*deep breath* Okay. Call it "growing pains". What do I do next? Can I find a way to sate both sides of my writerly self?
Today, I'm Dr. Jekyll. I need to put final edits on a short story. I like the story; I've worked hard on the story. Should the target market accept it, I think I'll make something like $30, minus Paypal fees. Hopefully a hundred people will read it. Mr. Hyde is laughing at me, just like he did all last week while I toiled away at my 2677 edits for The Saints are Dead.
*sigh*
February 25, 2011
The Big Experiment: Jekyll and Hyde
I've been feeling a little like a man split in two lately. More soon...
Thanks, dear readers for all the feedback on the cover. Have a fabulous weekend.
