Jason Halstead's Blog, page 39
February 10, 2012
The Bazaar Talent of Editing
Bonus points if you figured out the title is screwed up. I used it on purpose, courtesy of MS Word's auto-correct 'bazaar' was used instead of 'bizarre' in my book, Wanted. There are other errors as well, typos that slip past the eye of someone attempting to scrutinize if for detail. The irony is that incorrect words and spellings leap off the page and slap a casual reader across the face.
I've had reviews on Wanted in particular stating it was good but it needed some typographical assistance. This is frustrating to me – I need details and some means of understanding the scope of the problem. I had a wonderful woman sent me an email today that went into some of those details. Now, finally, I can have a better grasp of the problem and put a plan in motion to correct it.
It's embarrassing to me, as a writer, to put out products like that. In the early days when I went through a different publishing company such errors were rampant. Horrible editing took place, and in some places no editing at all. Since I've reigned myself in and now control my own books from start to finish it's gotten better, but I'm certain some mistakes still slip through. Say what you will about traditional publishing, at least 95% or more of the time they do a bang up job on editing.
As for me, I've found a couple of great editors in my life. Even they have differing skill sets though. One is great at helping to smooth out how the story flows. Another has an amazing bullshit-meter. A third can kill the difference in passive versus active voice with the skill of a sniper. I'm in the process of finding an outstanding copy editor and I believe I have a couple of them lined up. Thank you, Twitter!
So, fellow writers, make sure you get your books edited properly! Trust me, you can't edit your own book. Oh sure, you can try and you might even catch a lot of stuff, but you're going to miss a lot too. It needs to be somebody else doing it, somebody who knows what they're doing, not your uncle, sister, wife, or friend. Unless, of course, your uncle, sister, wife, or friend has experience and training at editing.
To learn more about Jason Halstead, visit his website to learn about him, his books, sign up for his newsletter, or check out some free samples of his books at http://www.booksbyjason.com.
February 9, 2012
Researching Success – Continued
A fellow writer and dear friend of mine, J.E. Taylor, paid for an advertisement as book of the day in Ereader News Today late last year. Thanks to the exposure, her sales skyrocketed for a couple of days. It wasn't just exposure, for the record, I happen to think she's a hell of a writer too. I've been trying to get a spot reserved in there as well but apparently I haven't been quick enough to snag one for 2012. Woe is me.
But I did just manage to land a quarter page ad in a magazine called Shelf Unbound. It went live today and I have to say, I was impressed with it. Not just my ad, but the magazine too. Check it out, my ad is on page 37. While you're there enjoy the magazine too – it's free and interesting.
How are my sales doing because of this? Well it just went live this afternoon and it won't be published to iTunes until 24 – 48 hours, so I'll wait and see. The add will run through March, giving me (hopefully plenty of exposure). I'll be sure to post on the success (or lack thereof) for this experiment as well…although if it's successful I may be slightly delayed until after I get a few more ads lined up for future issues!
As far as overall success as a writer is concerned, I consider the fact that I can consider paying for an advertisement to be a milestone in itself. I've got a long ways to go, but I'm fighting to get there!
To learn more about Jason Halstead, visit his website to learn about him, his books, sign up for his newsletter, or check out some free samples of his books at http://www.booksbyjason.com.
Another Reason it's Good to be a Writer
Sometimes events in our lives make us introspective. We reflect on our lives and our beliefs, seeking comfort in the familiar and understanding for things that happen beyond our control. This can lead to contentment at times and anger at others. Psychologists call it stages of grieving. Philosophers call it meditation and understanding one's self. I call it that thing we all do, no matter how much money we have or what our skin color or internal plumbing looks like. Being human binds us, for better or worse. I guess that makes it easier for the aliens bent on taking control of our world someday easier to stereotype us.
But until that day I can spend time fantasizing all sorts of thoughts about a variety of very touchy topics. Religion, politics, sexism, and Paula Dean trying to make a buck off her unhealthy lifestyle by endorsing a drug for diabetics. The thing is that I'm a writer, so I like to get my thoughts out there and to be heard. While spewing opinion laden sensitive topics may be cathartic, it can also piss off a lot of people. I greatly respect individuality and everybody's right to believe what they want, so I don't want to do that. Not to mention having people angry at me is going to stunt my writing career from a sales point of view!
So here's where writing is cool. Rather than go on and on about a topic I can invest my thoughts and feelings into my characters in my books. As long as I don't make the book in general preachy, it becomes a character trait (or quirk). I get it off my chest and my character becomes deeper and more interesting. Win-win.
And the situation that prompts such thoughts? Well, those will develop and unfold however they do. It's been a long week but things are looking unexpectedly optimistic. Still, gor people like me who feel the need to try and take charge of their lives and be in control of what happens it's difficult to watch things happen beyond our control. Recognizing that quirk is, I hope, the first step in dealing with it, but I still don't have to like it. 
As for me, it's still my every intention to be the exception to the rule that nobody gets out of life alive. For the rest of us, never settle for anything less than a happy life and be sure to share that with the people that matter – and even the people you don't know. Maybe those people will make a difference someday too.
In hindsight I almost renamed this post, "It's not a tumor!" I couldn't think of a good way to convey it with an Austrian accent though.
To learn more about Jason Halstead, visit his website to learn about him, his books, sign up for his newsletter, or check out some free samples of his books at http://www.booksbyjason.com.
February 8, 2012
Sometimes a Quickie is all You Can Manage
Life's been a little busy, a little hectic, and even a little challenging lately. Doesn't mean the world stops to wait, it means I've got to run faster. Unfortunately, that's also meant my blog postings have suffered. But here I am trying to fight back and get a little something out there. It's nothing major, just a head's up for anybody interested that today and today only Vitalis, New Beginnings, is free on Amazon. Yeah, and the day's half over, what kind of a prick am I to not mention it until now? Sorry…
Vitalis - New Beginnings, on Amazon
Vitalis – New Beginnings on Amazon
Vitalis – New Beginnings on Amazon UK
The good news is that there's more! Starting today and stretching on for a while Wanted is available for free again (on Amazon). You'll notice a trend with my books and Amazon. Say what you will about them trying to take over the publishing world, they provide tools and work with little people like me. Oh sure, in person I'm rather large and sometimes even imposing, but in the grand scheme of the ocean of publishing I'm barely making a ripple. Regardless, if you haven't snagged a copy of Wanted or New Beginnings yet, I strongly encourage you to do so! It's free and there are no strings attached. Not to mention you won't be able to stop reading there, you'll want to pick up the sequels too!
Wanted, post-apocalyptic science fiction by Jason Halstead
To learn more about Jason Halstead, visit his website to learn about him, his books, sign up for his newsletter, or check out some free samples of his books at http://www.booksbyjason.com.
February 5, 2012
Gotta Love a Screamer
Now the question is, what context am I using when I mention the word, "screamer?"
For those who know me well, it's not what you think. For those who's minds are twisted just right, see my earlier statement. For those interested in reading some fresh science fiction, you came to the right place!
Screamer is book 4 in my Vitalis series. It introduces the Terran Coalition Systems Marine Special Operatives. They're called FIST teams, for First Insertion Special Tactics. And just like our Navy SEALs, Army Rangers / Delta Force, and Air Force Pararescue operators these guys and girls are truly bad ass.
"Gunnery Sergeant Elsadora Quinn's nickname was Dark Angel. The Special Ops recruits she trained respected and feared her – almost as much as the scum her First Insertion Strike Team was sent up against time after time.
FIST team 3 earned the opportunity to lead the way into discovering what happened to the destroyed research station on Vitalis. Elsa's deployment pod was knocked off course and radio contact with her platoon was lost. Elsa learned she and Vitalis had something in common: they both were intent on showing the other who was stronger."
Screamer, book 4 in the Vitalis series by Jason Halstead
It's available on Amazon (and Amazon UK, Spain, Germany, and Italy) and for free via the Amazon Prime program!
To learn more about Jason Halstead, visit his website to learn about him, his books, sign up for his newsletter, or check out some free samples of his books at http://www.booksbyjason.com.
January 31, 2012
I'm Reviewing Reviews
I just read a blog snippet off of a blog by a guy named The Passive Guy. He writes some of his own articles and captures bits and pieces from other useful blogs around the web each day. I'm not sure how he manages it all, to be honest, but I make no claim to technological blogging supremacy. The point is this piece of blog I read focused on writers reading reviews. It strongly opined that they should not do so.
The thought behind it is that when a writer finishes a project and publishes it, it's like entering a child in a competition. If the kid fails we're disappointed. If the kid is picked on by the parent sitting beside us we're likely to throw a punch. That's my kid, damn it, how dare you make fun of them?
I admit I followed the reviews on my books religiously for a while. Just like the writer in the blog, some of those reviews sting. I can take the sting if its thought out and makes sense, but some of the zingers are not. In some cases it's a personal disagreement, which seems pointless to me. If you don't like 'X' because you're a vegetarian – don't down rate it and bash the book for it, sheesh. It's frustrating and infuriating, at time. At others it can be a kick in the pants that makes you challenge your desire to write anything longer than your name.
The things that writers need to remember is that I see a review posted between .1% and 1% of the time. Meaning for every 100 to 1000 copies sold, somebody posts a review. In my experience, both as a writer and as a consumer, people tend to be more motivated when something irks them. Anger is easily converted to energy and motivation, and that means quite often people are more likely to read a negative review then a positive one. Our news media thrives off of negative stories – as a culture we love watching a train wreck (e.g. reality TV shows).
My fellow writers, is your book still selling? Are there good reviews and ratings? Ignore the poorly written bad review that is entirely opinion based. Not everybody is going to like you. We can't expect people to write a commendation that's opinion based and not write a defamation as well. The best tactic I've found is to more or less ignore the reviews.
I still check from an eagle eye point of view, but I focus more on the ratings and number of reviews rather than the specific content. The emotional lurch that can consume me isn't worth the hours of stewing and negative impact it has on my schedule. I get emails from people that love what I've written and want to know where and when they can get something else. That means the world to me. Those people and those kind words are what keep me going some days. Sales suffer from time to time but a simple kind word makes it seem insignificant. Knowing I affected one person in a positive way makes it all worth it.
As for the bad reviews? Screw 'em. Don't write a review focusing on the author of the book, write it for the book and for other readers. Picking on my son or daughter because you don't like me doesn't show what a thoughtful, intelligent, and morally superior the reader is.
And no, I didn't write this because I received a bad review on one of my books! This was prompted entirely by the aforementioned blog post that I heartily agree with.
To learn more about Jason Halstead, visit his website to learn about him, his books, sign up for his newsletter, or check out some free samples of his books at http://www.booksbyjason.com.
January 27, 2012
Do You Want To Live Forever?
This post has nothing to do with the words were first immortalized by Valeria (Sandahl Bergman) before she leapt off the Tower of Set and was followed by Conan (Arnold Schwarzenegger) in the original (and far superior) Conan the Barbarian movie.
This post is about me offering readers the opportunity to be immortalized as a character in one of my books! I can't guarantee the role of said character, but at this point my intention is to make it a supporting character that is as true to the reader as possible. I say immortalized because I imagine my books will outlive any of us – they're on the Internet after all!
James Patterson did something like this recently, except I believe there was money involved that went to charity. I'm also not sure if Mr. Patterson only used the name of the lucky lady who won or if there was more to it than that. My intent is to far beyond just a name. I want to try and keep it as true to you as possible, or as true to the person you explain yourself to be. That means this will require some work on my part and on yours, but I think it's the kind of work that everybody yearns to do.
In an increasingly technological world we find ways to exist by being lonely islands floating in a busy ocean. We're all so focused on living our own lives and achieving the goals we have for ourselves that we've lost a lot of human interaction. Even worse, we feel nobody can really understand who we are. This is my nickle and dime approach to fighting back against that separationism.
The opportunity here is something that I think we'd all really like. I'm offering to listen to you while you unload the things about yourself that you feel are misunderstood. Your fears, your concerns, and your triumphs. We all feel like there are things nobody understands about us – I'm one of "we" too. Here's the chance to share those things with somebody who promises to listen. I can't fix anybody, but I can let you unload and we'll both come away better off because of it. And no, I'm not saying this is just for the winner, this is for anybody who wants to take part in this process.
So how do can you get hooked up with this cool opportunity? Easy! Just send me an email at jason@booksbyjason.com. Include in it your name and some details about yourself. You can focus on why I should pick you or you can vent about something that's bothering you. I won't attempt to solve your problems, but I will read what you write and respond to you. I'll also be honored that you chose to share it with me, provided you don't claim to be a Nigerian Princess that wants to offer me millions of dollars if I just give you my bank account information.
The book I'm working on presently is the sequel to Dark Earth, called Devil's Icebox. There are plenty of opportunities for supporting characters in it so rest assured if you're a man, woman, child, or something else altogether I can find a place for you in it!
To learn more about Jason Halstead, visit his website to learn about him, his books, sign up for his newsletter, or check out some free samples of his books at http://www.booksbyjason.com.
January 22, 2012
Inside the Mind of a Writer
I'm working on Devil's Icebox, the sequel to my paranormal fantasy, Dark Earth. I know what I want to happen in the book, more or less, and already inside of the first 1400 words my main character surprised me and showed me she wasn't who she thought she was. I was expecting a cruel and heartless witch (literally – she's a witch), but come to find out she's got a soft spot inside of her. The cruel and heartless part is still coming though…
So I've got my characters and I've got the story goal in mind, but it's the little things in between I still need to figure out. I was wondering what various plot devices and complication I'd toss along the way. Rather than let those things develop at their own pace in the back of my head, I decided I wanted to speed things up a bit. I've got a serious schedule laid out for myself this year when it comes to writing. I'm over a month ahead at present with the early completion of the rough draft of Voidhawk – The White Lady (for those following me, yes, I finally settled on a name). I won't be letting any moss grow on me though!
So, this post, where I brainstorm up some various ideas to complicate the story and my characters lives! I may use some or all of them, or perhaps I'll use none of them. The general gist of the story is that a witch from Dark Earth has to come to our Earth through the portal in Lord Baxter's realm in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. After that said witch needs to establish a new portal back to her homeland. Then help Lord Nelson (her ruler), launch an assault on our Earth. And don't worry, I haven't given the story away with that high level summary – I've got plenty of surprises cooked up and that's without the possibilities below!
Cast:
Lord Gareth Nelson – ruler of a large realm between Lake Erie and most of eastern Ohio / some of Western Pennsylvania
Cassiopia – A witch and the main character from whom the story is told.
Gabriel – Lord Nelson's right hand man, confidant, enforcer, and protector. He travels with Cassiopia as a bodyguard and to insure she doesn't do anything inappropriate.
Gwendolyn – A very important person to Cassiopia and someone Lord Nelson has under lock and key to further insure his witch's good behavior.
Possible scenes:
-An interlude with bandits along the road.
-Running into a camp of third party soldiers / mercs from another realm that seek to cause the new Lord Baxter problems.
-Possible interaction with Lord Baxter, his daughter (who is also coming into her power as a witch), and Lord Baxter's romantic interest
-Culture shock on our Earth (what, you mean women don't have to be abused and treated like second class citizens?!)
-Romantic interest / complication on Earth
-Criminal / violent incident on Earth (mugging, attempted murder or worse, bar fight, gang violence, etc.)
-Encounter with someone on Earth who has a touch of the gift (magic).
-Innocent campers / kids / hikers / whatever in the wrong place at the wrong time when attempting to establish the portal.
-Police interference on our Earth.
And the list goes on and on… but those are the ones I had time to think up and jot down. For those interested in the book this does not include the major scenes I've got already included in my head. I'm saving those for a surprise – these little snippets are just ideas that could very well influence the course of events through the book. My characters have a way of developing outside of my control. Especially this one, since Cassie already pulled a surprise move on me! I also encourage fans of the series (or people who've never heard of it) to respond to this post with any thoughts of their own. It wouldn't be the first (nor the last) time I've included something in a book from a reader who contacted me.
To learn more about Jason Halstead, visit his website to learn about him, his books, sign up for his newsletter, or check out some free samples of his books at http://www.booksbyjason.com.
January 18, 2012
Another Amazon Prime Experiment
In a recent post I both applauded the usefulness of the KOLL (Kindle Owners Lending Libary – I think) and challenged the usefulness of Amazon Prime to people who suffer from a lack of enough hours in the day. None of that has changed from that post until this one, but I'm trying to figure out just what an author can get out it.
For me the greatness of KDP Select (the program through Kindle Publishing where an author enrolls his or her books in to the KOLL program) isn't about the lending or the borrowing. It's about the [limited] ability to manage promotions. Each title gets a 5 day collection of days that the book can be offered for free. These can be broken up into 5 separate days, a five day stint, or any combination of lesser time (in full day increments running from midnight PST to midnight PST). That helps books get visibility and exposure, and if everything else is lined up AND the book doesn't suck, then it can help generate sales.
So with that in mind, I'm releasing the third book in my Vitalis series, Parasites. Parasites isn't going free but it's close at only $.99. New Beginnings, the book that started it all, will be free for both Thursday and Friday (January 19th and 20th). Grab it and check it out, it's got some great reviews and it's free, what more could you ask for? And after that's over, you'll surely want to know more about this undiscovered planet and how the survivors are making do, so check out The Colony and the brand new third installment: Parasites.
Parasites, book 3 in the Vitalis series by Jason Halstead
Parasites on Amazon (doesn't that just sound cool?)
To learn more about Jason Halstead, visit his website to learn about him, his books, sign up for his newsletter, or check out some free samples of his books at http://www.booksbyjason.com.
Sex Sells on Amazon Prime
I did it again – a bit of word play designed to humor me and strike a ring of truth. For others, it's deserving of a facepalm. This time around I'm continuing my KDP Select free promotion experimentations. Sex Sells, one one lonely foray into the romance genre, is free today and tomorrow (January 18th and 19th) on Amazon. My wife assures me that calling it a romance isn't exactly accurate, she thought it was something more likely to get the juices flowing for a reader – creative or otherwise.
I'll admit, I seldom write about sex in my books. I may come close on occasion, but that's a subject I prefer to leave up to the imagination. Describing carnal moments in detail takes the magic out of them. This particular book isn't about sex, at least not directly. It's about a lonely average guy trying to make a living without dealing with the consequences. When those same consequences smack him in the face (and worse), the real challenge begins. Add in some kidnapping, corruption, and dash of exhibitionism and you've got a unique book that is both entertaining and, ahem, fun.
Sex Sells, a romantica novel by Jason Halstead
To learn more about Jason Halstead, visit his website to learn about him, his books, sign up for his newsletter, or check out some free samples of his books at http://www.booksbyjason.com.
