Mark Del Franco's Blog, page 4

UNPERFECT SOULS - First Chapter Posted!

I've posted the first chapter of UNPERFECT SOULS on my website! Remember, the publication date is January 26, 2010 and you can pre-order via various links I've put up for that purpose.

It's odd talking about UNPERFECT SOULS now. I'm in the middle of writing the next book already, but I'm eager to see what people think of the new one. As always, you can drop me a note either through the contact form on the website or via glowbee atatatat markdelfranco.com.

Who Decides Publication Dates

A commenter from yesterday asked how the publication dates for my books are decided. The short answer is that the publisher determines the publication date based on when they think the book will do best and if a particularly book can fit into that calendar period. The author almost never has a say.

Basically, publishers like to give an author a year to write a book (shorter if the author can do multiple books a year) so the publication date drives the contract delivery date more than the other...

Happy New Year and Quick Update

I hope everyone had a nice new year's. I had dinner with friends and it was relaxed and drama-free. I'm not a huge fan of New Year's Eve. I think people put too much pressure on themselves to have a good time. It's the only major holiday I can think of whose main point is to have An Awesome Party. Not that I don't enjoy a good party, mind you, but someone people seem to feel they've failed somehow if they haven't had a Great Time (which, imho, also relates to the overdrinking that happens). I...

EBook Readers Are Falling From the Sky!

I had the chance to play with an ebook reader when I was shopping during the holidays. I played with one of the well-known ones. And I thought, "This is what publishing is worried about? Really?" Then I thought, "Really?"

As a tech toy, I thought it failed. Boring presentation of text. If I had the font too small (read normal), it was hard to read. Too big and it was like reading a large print hardcover. The contrast looked like crappy newspaper.

Don't get me wrong--I'm not anti-ebook. Ebooks w...

Over the next couple days, as you find yourself in certai...

Over the next couple days, as you find yourself in certain situations, consider doing the following:

1. Smile at the crappy gift. Someone people just suck at the gift giving.
2. Eat the damned cookie. You might end up with a cookie-shaped blob protruding from your body somewhere, but damn, it's a blob made of happy.
3. Have a drink or don't. You know which.
4. Tell a funny memory to someone who will think it's funny.
5. Sniff an evergreen tree.
6. If the tree is fake, sniff it anyway. Anyone who th...

And Then Some Art Happened...

I saw this youtube vid by Amanda Palmer the other day about whether what Lady Gaga does is art, and I thought I got what she was talking about in terms of what is Art. The question of art is always good for some nice ruminating, so here goes: The thing about art (small cap) and Art (Important Cap): they’re slightly different things that overlap a lot.

I used to be in the camp that if the one creating art calls it art, well, then, it’s art. A year or two ago, I was in an art class for life draw...

Reviewers Interested In Books?

I've heard that the bound proofs of UNPERFECT SOULS might be available soon. If you are a reviewer with a known audience site (suggestions welcome), let me know via email if you would like a copy: glowbee thesymbolyouknow markdelfranco.com . I likely will not confirm or deny emails, but to head off any hard feelings, please note that this is not for personal or fan sites. I'll do something else for those folks.

Disclaimer: I have no control over most of this. I will gather the info for my pub...

Further Notes On (Not) Surviving on Book Income

I thought I'd add some additional info to yesterday's post on why most authors cannot survive on book income alone.

I know some people probably read that and thought "But Stephen King! J.K. Rowling! It can be done!" Sure. Again, that happens to a select few. And I understand the impulse to feel that way--creative occupations always include dreams of success. That's a good positive attitude to have. But it needs to be tempered with reality.

Stephen King has spoken at length about his early strug...

The Numbers, They Burn

Lynn Viehl, a well-published genre author, has been posting her royalty statements online in the interest of informing authors and others what a NYT mass market paperback bestseller looks like in numbers. Others have provided links in the comments to their statements.

Seeing these numbers should be educational to many people. I think too often people see Stephen King or Stephanie Meyers or Hit Author Of The Moment and think most authors are making their sales (and income) and that these are ju...

Really Very Beautiful

Still decompressing from finishing FACE OFF (Laura 2).

One of the clean-up rules I use in writing is something I learned as a freshman in high school. I had an odd English writing teacher by the name of Br. Brian Casey. He was a short, stout hobbit-looking guy who was prone to screaming. Not hobbit-like. He also had one of the worst hairstyles a human male can wear: thick frizzy hair worn long to the base of the skull and parted on the side---starting from the top of the ear. It often flew ou...