Tate Hallaway's Blog, page 44

Garnet in Paperback?

I'm not sure how official this is, but I just heard from my editor that the Garnet Lacey books have been "bought" in-house by Berkley Sensation for release in a mass-market paperback edition. I guess the tentative date for the first book to hit the shelf is December of 2011.

I have no idea if they'll have new cover art or what, but I think this is pretty awesome news. I'm a big fan of the paperback size books, myself, so yay!

Also, I've run out of newbie questions to answer. Anyone out there...

A Book Recommendation

A friend of mine is getting a submission package ready for an agent, and it occurs to me that I should share the book recommendation I gave her to everyone:

YOUR NOVEL PROPOSAL: From Creation to Contract by Blythe Camenson and Marshall J. Cook.

Every time I sit down to write a proposal I review this book's chapter six: synopses (which, since much of the other information gets out-of-date quickly, is worth the price of the book). The book gives sample synopses, talks about what needs to be in a ...

Web Site Updated

This hardly constitues breaking news, but I finally found time today to update my web page. There's now an excerpt of HONEYMOON OF THE DEAD available, as well as order information for ALMOST TO DIE FOR and the German edition of TALL, DARK & DEAD.

Newbie Question #22

22. I'm pretty nervous about writing my book and trying to get it published. I guess I don't have much for self-confidence when it comes to this. Do you have any advice?

Unfortunately, Shelly, I think the one thing aspiring authors need is an abundance of self-confidence. Your belief in yourself and your writing is what is going to get you through those rough rejections that can feel so incredibly personal.

But even if self-confidence doesn't come easily to you, I think there are things you ...

Newbie Question #21

21. Do you have any favorite authors? Books?

Do I? OMG, do I.

Even though I'm a very slow reader (dyslexia), I read all the time. Some of the good ones that I finished lately are:

Cherie Priest, BONESHAKER

Neil Asher, GRIDLINKED

Daniel Key Moran, THE LONG RUN

But, beyond that, I'm reading a lot of my local authors too -- my fellow Wyrdsmiths who have books out are Naomi Kritzer, Kelly McCullough, Eleanor Arnason, and Doug Hulick (forthcoming). I could probably go on and on... and maybe over...

Newbie Question #20

20. What is the hardest part of writing for you? The easiest?

Sometimes the hardest part for me is the actual sitting down to write bit. But, after I've conquered the sheer discipline of making time and space in my life to write, I find plot the hardest.

This is one of those reasons why I tell my students to have some kind of plan before they write -- that's MY problem. If I don't have a plan/plot outline, I would very happily have my characters meander through a sort of endless soap opera...

Newbie Question #19

19. Do you typically do a lot of research for your books?

I do... though the process is very different if I'm writing science fiction or if I'm writing fantasy/romance.

Remember earlier how I said that a good writer should be reading stuff all the time? When I'm writing science fiction, those things I've read in the past are often at least partially responsible for the germination of the idea of whatever I'm writing (novel or a short story.) Kind of like unfocused, pre-research. :-)

Science...

Newbie Question #18

18. How long did it take to publish your first book?

It typically takes a year from delivery of the manuscript to my publisher before it hits the shelves ready for you to read.

But, again, I think that's not really the question you're asking. I think what you want to know is how long did it take for me to sell that first book I finished.

Here's some bad news. I never sold the first book I finished. I worked on that novel (Sidhe Promised) for four years. I put it through workshop/critique...

Newbie Question #17

17. What should my manuscript look like?

There's a lot of debate about this (much more than you'd expect, and people can get really wound up about it.) HOWEVER, it is my contention that knowing manuscript format *is* the very secret handshake that everyone is looking for.

Science fiction author Vonda N. McIntyre has made you a lovely .pdf in manuscript format that explains manuscript format. People like to argue about this. Do I have to? Courier is ugly! So and so says I can send it...

Newbie Question #16

16. Have you ever doubted yourself while writing? If so, how do you get over it?

I doubt myself all the time, just ask the folks in my writers' group. I constantly complain that I don't know what the f**k I'm doing or that my stories suck, etc., etc. I get over my doubt by tapping my support network -- my writers' group and my partner. (Because, if nothing else, my partner will say these magic words: "We need the money." Works for me every time. :-)

But I think this is actually a question...