M.J. Oelkers's Blog, page 4
December 11, 2024
More of the Same
Not a whole lot to add from last week. Revisions for story six continue to progress at a respectable clip. I'm a little over a third of the way through the page count. Necessary revisions should thin the closer I get to the final act. It was around chapter 17 (of 30) that I got most things properly sorted. Should become more like routine proofing than chunky edits by then. Granted, I've proven myself a liar with this story multiple times, so... cross my fingers, I guess?
I've decided to go ahead and start the much belated re-proofing of Spellseeker. That's now running in conjunction with revisions for story. The longer I wait on that, the more chance there is for some poor soul to stumble upon the current version. This will be a standard proofreading effort. I'm only on the hunt for spelling, grammar, and style errors. However much I'd like tear into the content of Spellseeker, this is not the time. All I am to do is tweak it so that people don't continue to get hung-up on typos.
Other than that, holidays are coming up. They won't change my pace or encourage a break of some kind. Everything should continue pressing forward. I guess this more just an acknowledgement that the holidays exist. For anyone dedicated enough to actually read these things, hope your holidays treat you well.
Toodles.
I've decided to go ahead and start the much belated re-proofing of Spellseeker. That's now running in conjunction with revisions for story. The longer I wait on that, the more chance there is for some poor soul to stumble upon the current version. This will be a standard proofreading effort. I'm only on the hunt for spelling, grammar, and style errors. However much I'd like tear into the content of Spellseeker, this is not the time. All I am to do is tweak it so that people don't continue to get hung-up on typos.
Other than that, holidays are coming up. They won't change my pace or encourage a break of some kind. Everything should continue pressing forward. I guess this more just an acknowledgement that the holidays exist. For anyone dedicated enough to actually read these things, hope your holidays treat you well.
Toodles.
December 4, 2024
On Second Thought...
...this is going to take a lot more work than I initially thought. In regards to revisions for story six, some of the early changes are proving to have quite the extensive reach. A little shift here means a larger shift a few chapters down the line. Turns out that changing the location of a scene requires a whole lotta effort.
That said, my resolve stands firm. All the changes I have planned are for the better. Nixing one here and one there would do far more harm than good. It's worth the extra time for characters to have better motives, more unique personalities, and climb to far more satisfying resolutions. Just have to keep myself pinned firm to the grindstone and make it work.
Not much going on in other news. Another largely positive review was posted for 'Shikaree' in that last week, which always jams a bit more wind into my sails. It's nice to know that people are giving the book a chance. There are a few sales popping up here and there, but nothing noteworthy. Little drop, drop, drops in the vast sea of potential readership.
I've grown enough as a person to not be dismayed by the slow, seemingly non-starts. 'Spellseeker' only has one written review on Goodreads. Now 'Shikaree' is up to four. This whole thing is a process. I have to earn respect book by book, grabbing attention with new, quality releases to then entice people to jump in from the beginning. Monumental patience is required, likely over a matter of years. Each release is another step. Just have to keep walking and everything will turn out fine.
That said, my resolve stands firm. All the changes I have planned are for the better. Nixing one here and one there would do far more harm than good. It's worth the extra time for characters to have better motives, more unique personalities, and climb to far more satisfying resolutions. Just have to keep myself pinned firm to the grindstone and make it work.
Not much going on in other news. Another largely positive review was posted for 'Shikaree' in that last week, which always jams a bit more wind into my sails. It's nice to know that people are giving the book a chance. There are a few sales popping up here and there, but nothing noteworthy. Little drop, drop, drops in the vast sea of potential readership.
I've grown enough as a person to not be dismayed by the slow, seemingly non-starts. 'Spellseeker' only has one written review on Goodreads. Now 'Shikaree' is up to four. This whole thing is a process. I have to earn respect book by book, grabbing attention with new, quality releases to then entice people to jump in from the beginning. Monumental patience is required, likely over a matter of years. Each release is another step. Just have to keep walking and everything will turn out fine.
November 27, 2024
Keepin' On Keepin' On
Nothing too special to report. Revision work continues on story number six. Finished one of the meatiest bits just yesterday. Took out two whole chapters in order to better direct the story from the get-go. The plan was to replace it with a single chapter in order to shorten things a bit. I am who I am, however, which means I ended up writing two chapters of almost the exact same length as the ones removed. I remain my own worst enemy. Still, quite like how it turned out.
Things should keep pretty steady from here on out. There aren't too many sections that need to be completely rewritten like above. Just a lot of framing changes. Who knows what, when they know, how they learn, where that takes place. It should allow the story as a whole to feel more complete, and less like something I was trying to figure out as I stumbled along. Pay no mind to the man behind the curtain.
That about covers it. No explosion in popularity for 'Shikaree' or anything like that. A couple sales here, a couple more there. Haven't seen any new reviews in a while. Hopefully folks are sticking with it, but there's no way to really tell. Such is the way of things. I'll try to put it out of my mind for a couple days and enjoy the holiday.
Toodles.
Things should keep pretty steady from here on out. There aren't too many sections that need to be completely rewritten like above. Just a lot of framing changes. Who knows what, when they know, how they learn, where that takes place. It should allow the story as a whole to feel more complete, and less like something I was trying to figure out as I stumbled along. Pay no mind to the man behind the curtain.
That about covers it. No explosion in popularity for 'Shikaree' or anything like that. A couple sales here, a couple more there. Haven't seen any new reviews in a while. Hopefully folks are sticking with it, but there's no way to really tell. Such is the way of things. I'll try to put it out of my mind for a couple days and enjoy the holiday.
Toodles.
November 22, 2024
Transformation
The eBook listing has been significantly cleaned since my last posting. It's tied to the paperback on Amazon now and has the correct page numbers. All the text looks appropriate when I skim through on my phone (grabbed a copy for myself to allow for such checks). The audiobook has been added to the page, as well. It's about as complete a listing as I could hope for.
With the drearier business out of the way, revisions have been an absolute delight. It's like finally going to sleep after a whole week awake and dreaming the most wonderful dreams. A piece of me that disappeared while working on the audiobook is back stretching its glorious legs. The pace is not quite where I want it to be, but that's atrophy for you. Strength will return with time.
The more I consider what changes are in store for this sixth story, the less I recognize it. Story five had some significant cuts. A whole chapter got cut in order trim a subplot I felt did not fit the narrative. Some minor characters got shifted around. The main thrust of the story, however, remained largely unchanged. With the sixth story, it feels like it will become something entirely new.
The two drafts are going to seem worlds apart. I see this as a sign of growth. That I can look at my finished draft, spot what would make it a more compelling story, and apply the machete rather than the scalpel. There was a time when I feared this level revision. I imagined it as something painful and dull. Busywork that would keep me from working on more exciting things. Well, this is one of those times where I am quite happy to be proven wrong.
I had planned on moving to copyedits for story three once these revisions were done. Something to help me remember a few characters while I plotted story seven more thoroughly. Instead, I think I'm going to comb back through 'Spellseeker' in search of the remaining errors. The number of people who seemed interested in reading it while I've been shilling 'Shikaree' was larger than expected. I can't continued to just pretend it doesn't exist. While the cover will likely remain shite, that doesn't mean I can't bring the copy up to par with my standards going forward. Better late than never, I guess.
Toodles.
With the drearier business out of the way, revisions have been an absolute delight. It's like finally going to sleep after a whole week awake and dreaming the most wonderful dreams. A piece of me that disappeared while working on the audiobook is back stretching its glorious legs. The pace is not quite where I want it to be, but that's atrophy for you. Strength will return with time.
The more I consider what changes are in store for this sixth story, the less I recognize it. Story five had some significant cuts. A whole chapter got cut in order trim a subplot I felt did not fit the narrative. Some minor characters got shifted around. The main thrust of the story, however, remained largely unchanged. With the sixth story, it feels like it will become something entirely new.
The two drafts are going to seem worlds apart. I see this as a sign of growth. That I can look at my finished draft, spot what would make it a more compelling story, and apply the machete rather than the scalpel. There was a time when I feared this level revision. I imagined it as something painful and dull. Busywork that would keep me from working on more exciting things. Well, this is one of those times where I am quite happy to be proven wrong.
I had planned on moving to copyedits for story three once these revisions were done. Something to help me remember a few characters while I plotted story seven more thoroughly. Instead, I think I'm going to comb back through 'Spellseeker' in search of the remaining errors. The number of people who seemed interested in reading it while I've been shilling 'Shikaree' was larger than expected. I can't continued to just pretend it doesn't exist. While the cover will likely remain shite, that doesn't mean I can't bring the copy up to par with my standards going forward. Better late than never, I guess.
Toodles.
November 13, 2024
Moving On
Today roughly marks the second full week of radio silence from Amazon and KDP regarding my terminated account. Given that the bots used to reply daily, I think it's safe to say that I have been placed on some sort of block list. I'd rather think that than believe someone is actively unchecking active correspondence and ignoring its presence. Always assume ignorance over malice if you have the freedom to do so.
While this is certainly annoying, it has finally pushed me to reupload the eBook myself. No sense in waiting for a resolution that may never come. Enough time has been wasted from Shikaree's release window. I can't get the time back, but I can move forward. I've already gotten the files loaded up through IngramSpark to perform wide distribution to their various partners. In a cruel twist of irony, Amazon is, of course, the first distributor to load the book for sale. Funny how that works.
This process has not been all sunshine and roses. Because of course it wouldn't be. Breaks aren't allowed. The listing on Amazon somehow had a poor-resolution version of the cover. On top of that, it listed Shikaree as only being four pages long. Another fun speedbump I plowed through was that, somehow, text formatting got stripped when loading the content into IngramSpark. All italicized text had been change to normal. Yet MORE annoyance followed when I realized the next version I uploaded (with correct text formatting) had a bunch of old typos leftover from previous drafts. That was a fun one. Had to throw two PDFs into a reader and use a compare function to go hunting page by page.
At this juncture, I think I've got everything squared away for the eBook. Listings are going up. Errors have been corrected where I've found them. Now it's just a matter of monitoring the thing to ensure there are no more fixes I need to make. Once that's covered, it's back to trying to shill the thing while begging for reviews. While the handful of reviews that have come in have all been positive, it's still a paltry handful. Here's to hoping next week's post is a bit more lighthearted.
Toodles.
While this is certainly annoying, it has finally pushed me to reupload the eBook myself. No sense in waiting for a resolution that may never come. Enough time has been wasted from Shikaree's release window. I can't get the time back, but I can move forward. I've already gotten the files loaded up through IngramSpark to perform wide distribution to their various partners. In a cruel twist of irony, Amazon is, of course, the first distributor to load the book for sale. Funny how that works.
This process has not been all sunshine and roses. Because of course it wouldn't be. Breaks aren't allowed. The listing on Amazon somehow had a poor-resolution version of the cover. On top of that, it listed Shikaree as only being four pages long. Another fun speedbump I plowed through was that, somehow, text formatting got stripped when loading the content into IngramSpark. All italicized text had been change to normal. Yet MORE annoyance followed when I realized the next version I uploaded (with correct text formatting) had a bunch of old typos leftover from previous drafts. That was a fun one. Had to throw two PDFs into a reader and use a compare function to go hunting page by page.
At this juncture, I think I've got everything squared away for the eBook. Listings are going up. Errors have been corrected where I've found them. Now it's just a matter of monitoring the thing to ensure there are no more fixes I need to make. Once that's covered, it's back to trying to shill the thing while begging for reviews. While the handful of reviews that have come in have all been positive, it's still a paltry handful. Here's to hoping next week's post is a bit more lighthearted.
Toodles.
November 6, 2024
With Bells On
Feels so godsdamn good to hop back into writing. Even if it's revision-focused writing rather than generating new content, I was really starting to feel the rust. Days where I don't write tend to leave me anxious. Well, that anxiety had been building over the past couple months and I am the most happy to break the dam. Let all those pent-up words come tumbling out.
This revision is reminding me of another somewhat forgotten sensation (at least in regards to writing): pain. There is a certain discomfort that comes with editing quiet and cheerful scenes to more appropriately setup moments of devastation that come down the line. Like... I'm already about to ruin his poor person's life, but it'd be so much compelling if xyz happened beforehand to make it hit harder. It's a complex emotion that I do struggle to grapple with at times. Gives me a bit of the weepies. Mist in the corner of my eye. That's how I know it's good, though, if it makes me hurt a bit while doing it.
As for what comes after tidying-up story number six, I'm a bit split. Part of me wants to barrel ahead and get started on drafting story seven. I have the vague outline in my head, but it's hardly substantial. The other part of me wants to go back proof story number three. Not only would that help get the next release in order, but it would help remind me exactly who that protagonist is. Which is helpful for... reasons. Leaning into the later option, but we'll see. There're likely a couple weeks of revision ahead of me yet. Plenty of time to make a decision.
Other status updates:
-Audiobook is still pending QA
-Still not getting any traction from Amazon about my KDP account. If this keeps up for another week, I'm pulling to trigger to distribute elsewhere.
Toodles.
This revision is reminding me of another somewhat forgotten sensation (at least in regards to writing): pain. There is a certain discomfort that comes with editing quiet and cheerful scenes to more appropriately setup moments of devastation that come down the line. Like... I'm already about to ruin his poor person's life, but it'd be so much compelling if xyz happened beforehand to make it hit harder. It's a complex emotion that I do struggle to grapple with at times. Gives me a bit of the weepies. Mist in the corner of my eye. That's how I know it's good, though, if it makes me hurt a bit while doing it.
As for what comes after tidying-up story number six, I'm a bit split. Part of me wants to barrel ahead and get started on drafting story seven. I have the vague outline in my head, but it's hardly substantial. The other part of me wants to go back proof story number three. Not only would that help get the next release in order, but it would help remind me exactly who that protagonist is. Which is helpful for... reasons. Leaning into the later option, but we'll see. There're likely a couple weeks of revision ahead of me yet. Plenty of time to make a decision.
Other status updates:
-Audiobook is still pending QA
-Still not getting any traction from Amazon about my KDP account. If this keeps up for another week, I'm pulling to trigger to distribute elsewhere.
Toodles.
October 30, 2024
Done
At last! All the chapters for Shikaree have been recorded, processed, cleaned, and uploaded to ACX. The files are now with their QA team. I assume everything should be fine given the extensive nature of my stresses. Not that I wouldn't expect a curveball, naturally, but that's a potential-problem-that-may-never-exist for later. For now I'm content to take the fragment of joy that comes with bookending the long and stressful process.
What comes next? Back to story number six! Last time I touched it (I tremble at remembering it was some time in August, I believe) the initial draft was completed. Now I get to go back and start with revisions. I know I've mentioned it in the past, but it bears repeating that this will likely be the most extensive revision yet. Lots of little touches that need to be applied here and there. Whole chapters are going to be altered, as well. Changes both great and small. It's exciting to finally get back to my favorite part of the process: writing.
In other news, Shikaree's audiobook remains in Kindle limbo. I have two distinct bots that I'm replying to now. Neither seem to be getting me anywhere. I've sent an email to CEO that encapsulates my struggle with the process. I don't expect them to see it, naturally, but I've been made to understand the executive support team is much more likely to staffed by actual people. Hopefully someone gets eyes-on and can finally enlighten me as to what happened. Fingers crossed that I might have better news on that front next week. If not, I'll probably start loading eBooks files onto other sites like Kobo and the like. I'll just have to live with not having access to Kindle Unlimited should Amazon ever actually resolve this issue.
Toodles.
What comes next? Back to story number six! Last time I touched it (I tremble at remembering it was some time in August, I believe) the initial draft was completed. Now I get to go back and start with revisions. I know I've mentioned it in the past, but it bears repeating that this will likely be the most extensive revision yet. Lots of little touches that need to be applied here and there. Whole chapters are going to be altered, as well. Changes both great and small. It's exciting to finally get back to my favorite part of the process: writing.
In other news, Shikaree's audiobook remains in Kindle limbo. I have two distinct bots that I'm replying to now. Neither seem to be getting me anywhere. I've sent an email to CEO that encapsulates my struggle with the process. I don't expect them to see it, naturally, but I've been made to understand the executive support team is much more likely to staffed by actual people. Hopefully someone gets eyes-on and can finally enlighten me as to what happened. Fingers crossed that I might have better news on that front next week. If not, I'll probably start loading eBooks files onto other sites like Kobo and the like. I'll just have to live with not having access to Kindle Unlimited should Amazon ever actually resolve this issue.
Toodles.
October 23, 2024
Passing Checks
Right, so bad news first. Amazon is taking their sweet time researching the problem with taking down my KDP account. The good news is that we've progressed from unhelpful responses to Amazon actually looking into the matter. Making a point to remain polite and positive through the ordeal. Hoping it'll be resolve by the next time I post something here (knocks on every wooden surface to be found).
Continued good news is that I've finished all of the major editing and post-processing for the Shikaree audiobook. Right now I'm doing a final pass to cut and weird mouth clicks and the like. Having already loaded several chapters into ACX, I can grudgingly say it sounds pretty good. And I only say 'grudgingly' because I can't stand the sound of my own voice.
Outside of that, there'll be some preparing for Halloween festivities. Annual pumpkin carve with family is right around the corner. Going to a convert on Halloween itself. Shaping up to be a solid week if the whole Amazon thing wraps in a flash. Fingers crossed!
Continued good news is that I've finished all of the major editing and post-processing for the Shikaree audiobook. Right now I'm doing a final pass to cut and weird mouth clicks and the like. Having already loaded several chapters into ACX, I can grudgingly say it sounds pretty good. And I only say 'grudgingly' because I can't stand the sound of my own voice.
Outside of that, there'll be some preparing for Halloween festivities. Annual pumpkin carve with family is right around the corner. Going to a convert on Halloween itself. Shaping up to be a solid week if the whole Amazon thing wraps in a flash. Fingers crossed!
October 16, 2024
Termination
Well, if it has not been a doozy of a day (or rather last 24 hours, I suppose). Received a rather curt message from the folks at Amazon, specifically the KDP folks, that my author account has been terminated and Shikaree is pulled from the shelf.
Why has this happened? Excellent question. They've not yet told me. How can I follow-up to appeal this matter? Through an email chain, because, having deleted my KDP account, I can no longer file trackable tickets through their support system. When can I expect to have an answer as to why this has happened? Yet another excellent question that is, as of yet, lacking an answer. The whole thing is a mire of uncertainty, and Amazon is not being helpful with my appeal in any sense of the word.
I was absolutely livid when I received the message yesterday. Not only did it arrive without explanation or citation of infraction, it came without warning. A completely cold termination that I had no way to see coming. Expletives raced around my mind like a pack of coke-addled lab mice. A whirlwind of WTFs and other choices phrases.
Now that I've had a day to process, cooler heads prevail. I am replying to Amazon's poor correspondence with the tact that they lack. My replies bear the specificity they seem to have lost along the roadside. I plan to learn why this transpired and will not relent until a satisfactory explanation is laid bare.
What does this mean going forward? Shikaree no longer has an eBook in the wild. Reviews can still placed on Amazon due to the availability of the print version, but KDP terms state that I will never be allowed to create another account to directly distribute on their platform. It's not as doom and gloom as it sounds, though. I own the rights to the book. I can (and will) upload the eBook through different channels if Amazon fails to come around and reinstate my account. Hell, Shikaree will still probably end up back on Amazon as an eBook. The key thing is that I won't be able to take advantage of the Kindle Unlimited service.
All in all, I'm trying to stay strong in the face of corporate buffoonery. Work on the audiobook for Shikaree will progress despite Amazon's repugnant behavior. I can consider what to do with the files once they are fully mastered. No reason to let Amazon sour all my future endeavors. I won't give them the satisfaction.
Toodles.
Why has this happened? Excellent question. They've not yet told me. How can I follow-up to appeal this matter? Through an email chain, because, having deleted my KDP account, I can no longer file trackable tickets through their support system. When can I expect to have an answer as to why this has happened? Yet another excellent question that is, as of yet, lacking an answer. The whole thing is a mire of uncertainty, and Amazon is not being helpful with my appeal in any sense of the word.
I was absolutely livid when I received the message yesterday. Not only did it arrive without explanation or citation of infraction, it came without warning. A completely cold termination that I had no way to see coming. Expletives raced around my mind like a pack of coke-addled lab mice. A whirlwind of WTFs and other choices phrases.
Now that I've had a day to process, cooler heads prevail. I am replying to Amazon's poor correspondence with the tact that they lack. My replies bear the specificity they seem to have lost along the roadside. I plan to learn why this transpired and will not relent until a satisfactory explanation is laid bare.
What does this mean going forward? Shikaree no longer has an eBook in the wild. Reviews can still placed on Amazon due to the availability of the print version, but KDP terms state that I will never be allowed to create another account to directly distribute on their platform. It's not as doom and gloom as it sounds, though. I own the rights to the book. I can (and will) upload the eBook through different channels if Amazon fails to come around and reinstate my account. Hell, Shikaree will still probably end up back on Amazon as an eBook. The key thing is that I won't be able to take advantage of the Kindle Unlimited service.
All in all, I'm trying to stay strong in the face of corporate buffoonery. Work on the audiobook for Shikaree will progress despite Amazon's repugnant behavior. I can consider what to do with the files once they are fully mastered. No reason to let Amazon sour all my future endeavors. I won't give them the satisfaction.
Toodles.
October 10, 2024
Around Town
Another week rolls by. I have to continue reminding myself that 'Shikaree' is not a short novel (just shy of 400 pages in print), and that reviews will come. Whatever shall I do in the meantime? How about a drive around town!
Spent some time yesterday visiting local, independent bookstores in the St. Louis area (surprise, you know my approximate location). I think it was possibly the most anxiety-inducing part of the process I've encountered so far. A lot of that has to do with my discomfort driving to unfamiliar locations, but that's a topic for another time.
I ended up entrusting entrusting books to two locations. The first was The Novel Neighbor over in Webster Groves. Second was Subterranean Books down on Delmar Loop. Both were fantastic little nooks with fantastic people running the show. The folks at Subterranean Books were particularly fun to chat with. I'll be posting links to their pages on my website sometime today or tomorrow.
Next on the list? I've fallen into a good rhythm for editing the audio files. My post-processing is routinely churning out files that meet Audible's requirements. The most fun part of the process is that I've started upping the playback speed to about 1.5x normal. I get to listen to myself perform in chipmunk while getting the job done faster. A win-win if I've ever seen one.
Toodles.
Spent some time yesterday visiting local, independent bookstores in the St. Louis area (surprise, you know my approximate location). I think it was possibly the most anxiety-inducing part of the process I've encountered so far. A lot of that has to do with my discomfort driving to unfamiliar locations, but that's a topic for another time.
I ended up entrusting entrusting books to two locations. The first was The Novel Neighbor over in Webster Groves. Second was Subterranean Books down on Delmar Loop. Both were fantastic little nooks with fantastic people running the show. The folks at Subterranean Books were particularly fun to chat with. I'll be posting links to their pages on my website sometime today or tomorrow.
Next on the list? I've fallen into a good rhythm for editing the audio files. My post-processing is routinely churning out files that meet Audible's requirements. The most fun part of the process is that I've started upping the playback speed to about 1.5x normal. I get to listen to myself perform in chipmunk while getting the job done faster. A win-win if I've ever seen one.
Toodles.
