Elliott Turner's Blog, page 2
July 11, 2018
L.A. Book Event
Hey y'all,
NOTV has a website and all, but, if you are like me, you prefer spying and lurking on GoodReads. Thus, I am happy to report here on the author blog that I will be attending the Latino Book Awards in September at the lovely CSU-Dominguez Hills campus. And also, on Sunday, Sept 9 at 1pm, I will be doing a reading and book signing at BookSoup in West Hollywood.
It is always fun to meet readers in real life. Here is a link for more event details.
NOTV has a website and all, but, if you are like me, you prefer spying and lurking on GoodReads. Thus, I am happy to report here on the author blog that I will be attending the Latino Book Awards in September at the lovely CSU-Dominguez Hills campus. And also, on Sunday, Sept 9 at 1pm, I will be doing a reading and book signing at BookSoup in West Hollywood.
It is always fun to meet readers in real life. Here is a link for more event details.
June 21, 2018
Getting down at the (Book) Club
Hey friends,
I am excited and honored that Las Comadres & Friends, the largest LatinX book club in the US, has selected my novel The Night of the Virgin, as one of their 13 summer reading books.
I've kept my lips sealed about the plot to not ruin anything with spoilers, but NOTV is listed under both "young adult" thanks to the bildungsroman aspect and also LGBTQ. Hint. Hint. Hint. SURREPTITIOUS WINK.
Really stoked to see my book on this list and thinking of fellow bookclubbers reading NOTV.
I am excited and honored that Las Comadres & Friends, the largest LatinX book club in the US, has selected my novel The Night of the Virgin, as one of their 13 summer reading books.
I've kept my lips sealed about the plot to not ruin anything with spoilers, but NOTV is listed under both "young adult" thanks to the bildungsroman aspect and also LGBTQ. Hint. Hint. Hint. SURREPTITIOUS WINK.
Really stoked to see my book on this list and thinking of fellow bookclubbers reading NOTV.
June 14, 2018
The Nonfiction World of Reporting
Last month, I wrote about the creation and birth of a short story. Executive summary: it can take months if not years of revisions to really get a story that pops and works. Then, finding the right home can also take years.
On the flip side, the world of reported, online journalism can be super quick. I'll often send a pitch email and get an answer back in a day or two. For example, I wrote a story on soccer stadiums and legal changes for Guardian (US) recently. I emailed Tom at The Guardian, he said "yes" within two days, I drafted and filed copy two weeks later, and it went live within a month.
A simple tale? Do you people who watch Submittable religiously feel jealous?
Compared to fiction, the inception to publication went quick. However, the tale had a few more turns than that.
Basically, for the past five years, I have written a lot of muckraking, public accountability reported features on stadiums. Here is how: I normally send out public info requests, get hard facts and key details, and then compare them to the snazzy press releases emailed out by sports clubs and local politicos.
They seldom match up. Facts rarely equal the fictional PR reality.
Still, this type of journalism can be draining and negative. The lede is basically "We taxpayers got scammed."
Thus, for The Guardian, about a year ago, I wanted to write something positive. I started to look into how local governments are defending themselves in stadium deals. I saw an odd entry in Wikipedia about public ownership. Basically, some local governments are insisting on an ownership stake in exchange for public funds for stadiums. Makes sense.
And Wikipedia claimed that the City of Houston owned a part of the Houston Texans of the NFL.
This struck me as odd because the NFL has strict rules about ownership: you must be an individual, not a corporation. However, the Green Bay Packers were owned by a local govt. Maybe Houston was another exception?
I emailed Tom, my editor at The Guardian, and he was super on board. However, my public info requests showed that, in fact, Wikipedia was wrong and the City of Houston does NOT have an ownership interest. Zilch. Thus, the story got put on the backburner.
Then, last Fall, the Columbus Crew and MLS decided to try and relocate to Austin. There was one problem: they had used taxpayer funds for their stadium, and Ohio had passed a special law to stop this. I sent out requests and penned a detailed, heavily reported feature for VOX.
Then, combined with other positive news in Miami and DC, I rekindled my "how cities and counties are fighting back" angle for this Guardian US feature.
Thus, in nonfiction, I normally get editor feedback within days or weeks, but...the reporting can take years. And stories and ledes often get tweaked as facts come to light.
On the flip side, the world of reported, online journalism can be super quick. I'll often send a pitch email and get an answer back in a day or two. For example, I wrote a story on soccer stadiums and legal changes for Guardian (US) recently. I emailed Tom at The Guardian, he said "yes" within two days, I drafted and filed copy two weeks later, and it went live within a month.
A simple tale? Do you people who watch Submittable religiously feel jealous?
Compared to fiction, the inception to publication went quick. However, the tale had a few more turns than that.
Basically, for the past five years, I have written a lot of muckraking, public accountability reported features on stadiums. Here is how: I normally send out public info requests, get hard facts and key details, and then compare them to the snazzy press releases emailed out by sports clubs and local politicos.
They seldom match up. Facts rarely equal the fictional PR reality.
Still, this type of journalism can be draining and negative. The lede is basically "We taxpayers got scammed."
Thus, for The Guardian, about a year ago, I wanted to write something positive. I started to look into how local governments are defending themselves in stadium deals. I saw an odd entry in Wikipedia about public ownership. Basically, some local governments are insisting on an ownership stake in exchange for public funds for stadiums. Makes sense.
And Wikipedia claimed that the City of Houston owned a part of the Houston Texans of the NFL.
This struck me as odd because the NFL has strict rules about ownership: you must be an individual, not a corporation. However, the Green Bay Packers were owned by a local govt. Maybe Houston was another exception?
I emailed Tom, my editor at The Guardian, and he was super on board. However, my public info requests showed that, in fact, Wikipedia was wrong and the City of Houston does NOT have an ownership interest. Zilch. Thus, the story got put on the backburner.
Then, last Fall, the Columbus Crew and MLS decided to try and relocate to Austin. There was one problem: they had used taxpayer funds for their stadium, and Ohio had passed a special law to stop this. I sent out requests and penned a detailed, heavily reported feature for VOX.
Then, combined with other positive news in Miami and DC, I rekindled my "how cities and counties are fighting back" angle for this Guardian US feature.
Thus, in nonfiction, I normally get editor feedback within days or weeks, but...the reporting can take years. And stories and ledes often get tweaked as facts come to light.
June 8, 2018
Award Alert!
Hey y'all,
I have a larger post about nonfiction writing later this month, but, for now, I am elated to share that my novel The Night of the Virgin is a FINALIST for the Int'l Latino Book Awards for First Fiction.
Thanks to my family for their support when I was writing that first draft, especially my wife Cristhian. Thanks to my agent Corey, my editor Pete, and everybody involved at RBM.
And, of course, thanks to everybody who has gotten a copy and read it.
I am hoping to attend the awards dinner at CSU-Dominguez Hills in September. Woot woot LA here come the Turners!
I have a larger post about nonfiction writing later this month, but, for now, I am elated to share that my novel The Night of the Virgin is a FINALIST for the Int'l Latino Book Awards for First Fiction.
Thanks to my family for their support when I was writing that first draft, especially my wife Cristhian. Thanks to my agent Corey, my editor Pete, and everybody involved at RBM.
And, of course, thanks to everybody who has gotten a copy and read it.
I am hoping to attend the awards dinner at CSU-Dominguez Hills in September. Woot woot LA here come the Turners!
May 1, 2018
Short Story Story
Here is the long story behind the short story. I wrote "The Sicario's Daughter" back in 2011. I had been getting a spike in freelance nonfiction work, but, after going a bit crazy reading litfic novels, I really wanted to take a stab at fiction.
The very first draft was waayyyy too clearly influenced by Junot Diaz. The narrator's voice was not me. The pacing was off. There were not enough sensory details to really show Brownsville. Also, the main character's feelings and doubts were not clearly spelled out.
In sum, it was a disaster of a story, aside from its nucleo. But, it was a start.
I penned a handful of other stories, also bad, edited them a wee bit, sent them to some literary magazines (by paper and snail mail), got polite form rejection postcards, and went back to nonfiction writing.
After writing NOTV in 2014, at least the first draft, while confined to a recliner in my living room due to medical reasons for a month, I disregarded Bob Dylan and looked back: not only at The Sicario's Daughter, but some of the other tales. I promised myself I would try to edit and improve them if I ever got a moment.
Then, of course, NOTV went through the publishing ringer of lotsa query emails and rejections by agents, landed Corey, then lotsa pitch emails and rejections from publishers, but, hey, flash forward, NOTV finally came to life.
I toured Texas in the summer, my grandmother passed away (somewhat expectedly but still sadly), I toured more of Texas, my wife came within a hair's breath of miscarrying our third child, and, then, exhausted, I was kinda elated to see the Fall of 2017 and a calendar free of obligations.
And, after going through the galley revision ringer for NOTV, I was able to focus and really get The Sicario's Daughter in good shape. Submittable shape, you could say.
Instead of multi-submitting all over, like most recommend, I searched for proper homes and surgically submitted to Transect and one other quite prestigious lit mag. Once I got an email from Transect, though, within five minutes I had clicked on the "withdraw" option for the other spot. Sorry, Kenyon. Another time, dear.
Of course, I am super happy with the edits, original artwork, and how it turned out at Transect. Check it out here.
Also, a version of the story had been slated for a literary magazine in the RGV back in the summer of 2016, but due to financial difficulties the first issue never got printed.
Thus, my scribe friends and readers, the story behind the creation and birth of a short story is a winding river indeed. When you see that LitHub article about 100 submissions for 2 publications, that sounds optimistic to be honest.
The slush pile is tough to climb up and out of, but, if you submit to the right place and get a greenlight, is definitely worth it.
The very first draft was waayyyy too clearly influenced by Junot Diaz. The narrator's voice was not me. The pacing was off. There were not enough sensory details to really show Brownsville. Also, the main character's feelings and doubts were not clearly spelled out.
In sum, it was a disaster of a story, aside from its nucleo. But, it was a start.
I penned a handful of other stories, also bad, edited them a wee bit, sent them to some literary magazines (by paper and snail mail), got polite form rejection postcards, and went back to nonfiction writing.
After writing NOTV in 2014, at least the first draft, while confined to a recliner in my living room due to medical reasons for a month, I disregarded Bob Dylan and looked back: not only at The Sicario's Daughter, but some of the other tales. I promised myself I would try to edit and improve them if I ever got a moment.
Then, of course, NOTV went through the publishing ringer of lotsa query emails and rejections by agents, landed Corey, then lotsa pitch emails and rejections from publishers, but, hey, flash forward, NOTV finally came to life.
I toured Texas in the summer, my grandmother passed away (somewhat expectedly but still sadly), I toured more of Texas, my wife came within a hair's breath of miscarrying our third child, and, then, exhausted, I was kinda elated to see the Fall of 2017 and a calendar free of obligations.
And, after going through the galley revision ringer for NOTV, I was able to focus and really get The Sicario's Daughter in good shape. Submittable shape, you could say.
Instead of multi-submitting all over, like most recommend, I searched for proper homes and surgically submitted to Transect and one other quite prestigious lit mag. Once I got an email from Transect, though, within five minutes I had clicked on the "withdraw" option for the other spot. Sorry, Kenyon. Another time, dear.
Of course, I am super happy with the edits, original artwork, and how it turned out at Transect. Check it out here.
Also, a version of the story had been slated for a literary magazine in the RGV back in the summer of 2016, but due to financial difficulties the first issue never got printed.
Thus, my scribe friends and readers, the story behind the creation and birth of a short story is a winding river indeed. When you see that LitHub article about 100 submissions for 2 publications, that sounds optimistic to be honest.
The slush pile is tough to climb up and out of, but, if you submit to the right place and get a greenlight, is definitely worth it.
March 26, 2018
A wordsmith sans words
Hello friends,
I am going to write about not writing.
Basically, the real world has torpedoed the time I normally steal to read voraciously and write often. Here's what's up:
First, the great news. My four month old son Liam is doing great. He's eating solid food now, he weighs about 17 pounds and is 27 inches tall. I try to help my wife out as much as possible - constantly cleaning baby bottles, changing him, helping bathe him, holding him and playing with him. Folding laundry, putting away laundry, etc.
He loves Dino-Tren and Daniel el Tigre y el Vecindad. I've also started reading to him - Bernstein Bears and Go Dog Go.
Our Spanish language kids books are still in Managua. Doh!
Second, the home remodeling timesuck. We are re-doing my son's bedroom. The last owners of the house were lazy af - they put wallpaper over wallpaper over wallpaper. It makes me laugh because we bought the home from a well known "beat" writer for the Houston Chronicle - and I've always thought of beat writing as not fully formed, reaction pieces patched together with stats and soundbites from bland pressers.
It makes me laugh because the target audience is somebody who cares enough to know about the team without caring enough to see the game live in person or TV. So, like, it's the equivalent of those fiction legal thrillers you see in airport bookstores.
That is how these walls are. They were not taken care of with a lick of sense.
Scraping, sanding, and finishing them to be primed for paint has been a pain in the ass. We also are slowly, room by room, redoing the popcorn ceiling in the house. In the kitchen and first floor guest bathroom, we had tile floors so it was easy. We have carpet on the second floor, so it's slow going...
Lastly, there was, like, this Hurricane that hit Houston. Apparently, the bridge over the Rio San Jacinto that connects my corner of Humble to Houston is dangerous. Thus, the always behind schedule Tx DOT is doing a ton of work and the traffic is insane. I have a work around, but it adds a half hour to my commute. Also, it means I drive to work - I no longer can take the Park and Ride buses.
Normally, on the P and R, I do an hour of reading and/or editing in the morning and then in the afternoon. Thus, I now have two hours less per day to read/write AND get home stressed from the traffic.
And all that other stuff.
Don't worry - I am reporting on stadium finance stuff for a national magazine. I wrote a Spanish language specfic horror tale that is almost ready for market. I am putting the touches on a specfic comical novella also.
Still, it's weird seeing my writing NOT online. As a blogger, I'm used to writing, publishing, and getting into a conversation with my readers. With magazines and books, that's often impossible. I do get nice DMs about NOTV, but it's not the same as "news of the day" journalism or a meaty reported piece.
Eventually, though, Liam will grow up, the bridge will be repaired, and my oldest son will get his room back. Then get ready to read people!!
I am going to write about not writing.
Basically, the real world has torpedoed the time I normally steal to read voraciously and write often. Here's what's up:
First, the great news. My four month old son Liam is doing great. He's eating solid food now, he weighs about 17 pounds and is 27 inches tall. I try to help my wife out as much as possible - constantly cleaning baby bottles, changing him, helping bathe him, holding him and playing with him. Folding laundry, putting away laundry, etc.
He loves Dino-Tren and Daniel el Tigre y el Vecindad. I've also started reading to him - Bernstein Bears and Go Dog Go.
Our Spanish language kids books are still in Managua. Doh!
Second, the home remodeling timesuck. We are re-doing my son's bedroom. The last owners of the house were lazy af - they put wallpaper over wallpaper over wallpaper. It makes me laugh because we bought the home from a well known "beat" writer for the Houston Chronicle - and I've always thought of beat writing as not fully formed, reaction pieces patched together with stats and soundbites from bland pressers.
It makes me laugh because the target audience is somebody who cares enough to know about the team without caring enough to see the game live in person or TV. So, like, it's the equivalent of those fiction legal thrillers you see in airport bookstores.
That is how these walls are. They were not taken care of with a lick of sense.
Scraping, sanding, and finishing them to be primed for paint has been a pain in the ass. We also are slowly, room by room, redoing the popcorn ceiling in the house. In the kitchen and first floor guest bathroom, we had tile floors so it was easy. We have carpet on the second floor, so it's slow going...
Lastly, there was, like, this Hurricane that hit Houston. Apparently, the bridge over the Rio San Jacinto that connects my corner of Humble to Houston is dangerous. Thus, the always behind schedule Tx DOT is doing a ton of work and the traffic is insane. I have a work around, but it adds a half hour to my commute. Also, it means I drive to work - I no longer can take the Park and Ride buses.
Normally, on the P and R, I do an hour of reading and/or editing in the morning and then in the afternoon. Thus, I now have two hours less per day to read/write AND get home stressed from the traffic.
And all that other stuff.
Don't worry - I am reporting on stadium finance stuff for a national magazine. I wrote a Spanish language specfic horror tale that is almost ready for market. I am putting the touches on a specfic comical novella also.
Still, it's weird seeing my writing NOT online. As a blogger, I'm used to writing, publishing, and getting into a conversation with my readers. With magazines and books, that's often impossible. I do get nice DMs about NOTV, but it's not the same as "news of the day" journalism or a meaty reported piece.
Eventually, though, Liam will grow up, the bridge will be repaired, and my oldest son will get his room back. Then get ready to read people!!
February 22, 2018
Used versions of NOTV RANKED!
Friends,
I cannot tell a lie. RBM sent out a ton of ARCS and "for review" copies of NOTV. And major sites that review books often donate review copies to nonprofits/thriftstores or sell them to used book emporiums.
It has always made me chuckle when an author is mad about seeing used books of theirs on sale. I'm still green enough where I just am happy to be read - friends told me well in advance that the land of literary fiction was not a Golden Goose.
Thus, using a criteria of "hopefully read", I am scoring/evaluating all the used copies of NOTV for sale on Amazon.
The first two books, from Atlanta Book Co. and "California", are promising enough. They claim the book is "almost like new" and "mild to moderate creasing." This means, hopefully, the original reader at least got thru 20 solid pages before DNFing.
*Note, I am an optimist by nature.
The third book, Texas Book Consignments, is just a slap in the face. "Unused copy." Is there no LoneStar state pride or solidarity? SMH.
The next three books are from HPB with no specific description of the state of the book. HPB in Humble opened their doors to me for an event, so I have no comment at this time. Although, yes, the delicious cookies served for "local author Saturday" were scrumptious.
*Direct related inquires to my publicist Corey.
The next book, from Chris's Bargains, costs $16 (more than the listing price) AND says "perfect" and "never opened." In my opinion, a book that has never been opened cannot be perfect. Chris, or, rather, Mr. Bargain, your address is publicly available online. Sleep well tonight, mon ami.
SuperBookDeals is not so super - $14,40 for the book plus like four dollars shipping. Plus, the line "unread copy in perfect condition" makes my heart ache.
Super Star Seller I cannot pass judgment on. "Like New" just does not give much to work with. The condition of NOTV could be super star, or rather just star.
WagonWheelBooks was a breath of fresh air. Their copy of NOTV has "cover and corner wear", "bent page corners," and "light soiling on book edge." Normally I hate dog-eared paperbacks, but I am making an exception this time.
I also would like very much to know more deets re: this "light soiling."
The last three books are ridiculonkly priced and have no description. Chris, aka Mr. Bargain, is selling a copy of NOTV for $37.74. Is it, like, signed by me? Printed on dead sea scroll parchment? Handwritten in elegant cursive by 13th century monks?
We don't know. But we do know an important thing: the secondary market for NOTV is thriving. I am sure RBM will be elated.
Oh, and by the way, please try not to feed the beast. Get your copy of NOTV (signed) from a local Texas indie here.
I cannot tell a lie. RBM sent out a ton of ARCS and "for review" copies of NOTV. And major sites that review books often donate review copies to nonprofits/thriftstores or sell them to used book emporiums.
It has always made me chuckle when an author is mad about seeing used books of theirs on sale. I'm still green enough where I just am happy to be read - friends told me well in advance that the land of literary fiction was not a Golden Goose.
Thus, using a criteria of "hopefully read", I am scoring/evaluating all the used copies of NOTV for sale on Amazon.
The first two books, from Atlanta Book Co. and "California", are promising enough. They claim the book is "almost like new" and "mild to moderate creasing." This means, hopefully, the original reader at least got thru 20 solid pages before DNFing.
*Note, I am an optimist by nature.
The third book, Texas Book Consignments, is just a slap in the face. "Unused copy." Is there no LoneStar state pride or solidarity? SMH.
The next three books are from HPB with no specific description of the state of the book. HPB in Humble opened their doors to me for an event, so I have no comment at this time. Although, yes, the delicious cookies served for "local author Saturday" were scrumptious.
*Direct related inquires to my publicist Corey.
The next book, from Chris's Bargains, costs $16 (more than the listing price) AND says "perfect" and "never opened." In my opinion, a book that has never been opened cannot be perfect. Chris, or, rather, Mr. Bargain, your address is publicly available online. Sleep well tonight, mon ami.
SuperBookDeals is not so super - $14,40 for the book plus like four dollars shipping. Plus, the line "unread copy in perfect condition" makes my heart ache.
Super Star Seller I cannot pass judgment on. "Like New" just does not give much to work with. The condition of NOTV could be super star, or rather just star.
WagonWheelBooks was a breath of fresh air. Their copy of NOTV has "cover and corner wear", "bent page corners," and "light soiling on book edge." Normally I hate dog-eared paperbacks, but I am making an exception this time.
I also would like very much to know more deets re: this "light soiling."
The last three books are ridiculonkly priced and have no description. Chris, aka Mr. Bargain, is selling a copy of NOTV for $37.74. Is it, like, signed by me? Printed on dead sea scroll parchment? Handwritten in elegant cursive by 13th century monks?
We don't know. But we do know an important thing: the secondary market for NOTV is thriving. I am sure RBM will be elated.
Oh, and by the way, please try not to feed the beast. Get your copy of NOTV (signed) from a local Texas indie here.
January 18, 2018
Unfrozen
Being an author with a book up for awards AND some novel(s) at market means you sometimes know stuff, but have to stfu. It sucks. Writing is sharing ideas, and, like, you can't.
So I'm going to write really generally in this update. Sorry.
First off, I wrote another novella in Spanish. It's my first ghost story. It's about 15k words, and some friends from Twitter agreed to be beta readers and help edit aspects of it. I'm happy with how it's progressing. My formal written Castillian blows. Tildes stalk my nightmares.
Yet I persist.
Second, for the last six years, I have written and re-written AND RE-re-written about 10 or so short stories about the Rio Grande Valley. One of them is going to be published this year! Many others have been submitted to literary mags, and about two more are getting there.
Here are the titles and summaries:
--The Sicario's Daughter
A high school senior crushes hard on a girl, but then she suddenly and mysteriously disappears.
--Rolling Along
A young professional joins a roller derby team looking for camraderie, but falls in love. A major problem surfaces: the feeling is not reciprocal.
--Picking Las Flores
A middle-aged man moves in with his dad after a divorce and tries to get his life back on track. But a nasty vice stalks his every step.
--A Visitor
A marriage is on the rocks until a mysterious young woman appears.
--A Shared Feeling
A doctor attends his father-in-law's funeral in Reynosa and FaceTimes it for his distraught, undocumented wife back in McAllen.
--The Midnight Bus to Matamoros
A young attorney's Saturday League soccer buddy gets busted by La Migra. He tries to help, but is in for a huge surprise.
--Some Shall Rise
A family bonds together to take care of a terminally ill abuela for a day, but you can't stop what's coming.
I've also made some friends via Twitter who have beta-read and immensely improved some of these tales. They have asked me for help/edits with poetry, which makes me laugh because I suck at poetry. They are so getting screwed in this arrangement.
Third, NOTV is up for some awards. If we get shortlisted, I'll scream about it on Twitter. Also, NOTV is being submitted to three book fairs/festivals, so maybe I'll see some of you in person?
If not, no sweat. I have a cute two-month old baby at home to play with.
So I'm going to write really generally in this update. Sorry.
First off, I wrote another novella in Spanish. It's my first ghost story. It's about 15k words, and some friends from Twitter agreed to be beta readers and help edit aspects of it. I'm happy with how it's progressing. My formal written Castillian blows. Tildes stalk my nightmares.
Yet I persist.
Second, for the last six years, I have written and re-written AND RE-re-written about 10 or so short stories about the Rio Grande Valley. One of them is going to be published this year! Many others have been submitted to literary mags, and about two more are getting there.
Here are the titles and summaries:
--The Sicario's Daughter
A high school senior crushes hard on a girl, but then she suddenly and mysteriously disappears.
--Rolling Along
A young professional joins a roller derby team looking for camraderie, but falls in love. A major problem surfaces: the feeling is not reciprocal.
--Picking Las Flores
A middle-aged man moves in with his dad after a divorce and tries to get his life back on track. But a nasty vice stalks his every step.
--A Visitor
A marriage is on the rocks until a mysterious young woman appears.
--A Shared Feeling
A doctor attends his father-in-law's funeral in Reynosa and FaceTimes it for his distraught, undocumented wife back in McAllen.
--The Midnight Bus to Matamoros
A young attorney's Saturday League soccer buddy gets busted by La Migra. He tries to help, but is in for a huge surprise.
--Some Shall Rise
A family bonds together to take care of a terminally ill abuela for a day, but you can't stop what's coming.
I've also made some friends via Twitter who have beta-read and immensely improved some of these tales. They have asked me for help/edits with poetry, which makes me laugh because I suck at poetry. They are so getting screwed in this arrangement.
Third, NOTV is up for some awards. If we get shortlisted, I'll scream about it on Twitter. Also, NOTV is being submitted to three book fairs/festivals, so maybe I'll see some of you in person?
If not, no sweat. I have a cute two-month old baby at home to play with.
December 18, 2017
Yuletide Greetings
Friends,
I've written about Amazon and their pricing pressure before. Basically, selling on Amazon opens up the door to millions of consumers, but...Amazon wants you to sell your books at dime store margins. For a small indie like RBM, there's no separate contract where we set the price. RBM is not part of some larger conglomerate.
Thus, when we saw that NOTV was on sale for only $12 at Amazon last week, we did not agree to this savage discount and had a decision to make. It's common for discounts to appear at Christmas time: folks get Amazon gift cards and purchases surge. Larger publishers can hope that volume will compensate for margins.
But not RBM. As stated before with my nonfiction books, it's better to sell one book and get $4 back for RBM (then a cut to me), then sell three books and $1 back for RBM (then a cut to me). $4 is more than $3. This may not be true for Amazon - they want happy customers to show up for doorbusters and then many other things - but it's true for authors and small publishers.
Thus, Merry Christmas! The paperback version of NOTV is not on sale on Amazon! Ho ho ho! I am the Grinch to the Bezos. Not everything is on sale on that site.
Luckily, at the wonderful indies that supported the NOTV Texas Tour, one can still get copies easily thru Ingram Spark. Also, BookPeople, who ships internationally, still has signed copies. You can snag them here.
So, other small publishers - don't let Amazon push you around. If they cut your prices sans consent, just delist. In my experience, after about 6 months, you can relist with your original price and they'll respect it.
I've written about Amazon and their pricing pressure before. Basically, selling on Amazon opens up the door to millions of consumers, but...Amazon wants you to sell your books at dime store margins. For a small indie like RBM, there's no separate contract where we set the price. RBM is not part of some larger conglomerate.
Thus, when we saw that NOTV was on sale for only $12 at Amazon last week, we did not agree to this savage discount and had a decision to make. It's common for discounts to appear at Christmas time: folks get Amazon gift cards and purchases surge. Larger publishers can hope that volume will compensate for margins.
But not RBM. As stated before with my nonfiction books, it's better to sell one book and get $4 back for RBM (then a cut to me), then sell three books and $1 back for RBM (then a cut to me). $4 is more than $3. This may not be true for Amazon - they want happy customers to show up for doorbusters and then many other things - but it's true for authors and small publishers.
Thus, Merry Christmas! The paperback version of NOTV is not on sale on Amazon! Ho ho ho! I am the Grinch to the Bezos. Not everything is on sale on that site.
Luckily, at the wonderful indies that supported the NOTV Texas Tour, one can still get copies easily thru Ingram Spark. Also, BookPeople, who ships internationally, still has signed copies. You can snag them here.
So, other small publishers - don't let Amazon push you around. If they cut your prices sans consent, just delist. In my experience, after about 6 months, you can relist with your original price and they'll respect it.
November 7, 2017
A Different Review
So, I was morbidly curious to read this article in Vulture on Kirkus Reviews and their policies. Basically, Kirkus assigns reviewers based on if said reviewer is from the same race/religion/nationality/ethnicity as the author and/or major characters in the book.
The goal is to see if these books "resonate most with cultural insiders." The argument is that there "is no substitute for lived experience."
I love Kirkus and regularly read their reviews. They positively reviewed Night of the Virgin, after all (gulp).
I also understand the practice, in the early and middle stages of creation, for authors to rely on beta readers to make sure your characters in a story are fully fleshed out and not two-dimensional (and stereotypical). Some authors/editors wisely seek out "cultural insiders" to get their two cents.
This can and does lead to awkward conversations. As a journalist, I have been pitched to do reports and features on Mexican soccer because, drum roll, I am Chicanx and follow the national team and league, but the phone chats can feel strained. "So, Elliott, we'd love to have your writing at the site." (Endorphin overload; I remain silent) "We were thinking maybe....maybe you could do some stuff on...LigaMX?" (Scratches chin; thinks to self...I wonder why).
Awkward!
In the world of fiction, I think that a good, sharp reader can spot stereotypes in a book, and, in Kirkus' case, then a cultural insider should be consulted. The fine line between accurately and vividly describing customs associated with a group of persons like, say, Mexicans from Tamaulipas/Nuevo Leon, versus relying on rote stereotypes, can be tricky at times.
This especially gets thorny with humor and attempts at satire.
I honestly am still thinking through this stuff. I love "Own Voices Narratives" and respect the general critique against cultural appropriation, but am also terrified by the pigeon-holing that can happen. "Hey, ethnic dude! Write ethnic content for my vertical/publisher! But there's one catch - gotta be ethnic enough."
Also, on a positive note, you have cases like Lucky Boy by Shanthi Sekaran, who is an Indian American that grew up in California. Lucky Boy has a major character that is an undocumented Mexican woman. Shanthi is a woman, but a US citizen with no ties to Mexico.
And she did a helluva good job writing the character. She even did an interview about the book at Latino USA. She described the process as "daunting" because "I'm neither of those things" (when referring to Mexican heritage and undocumented immigration).
As an author, you write the world you live in, and you probably are not surrounded exclusively by affluent straight WASP males. Hopefully, you are not surrounded with carbon copies of you. And this shows up in your imaginary world's characters.
Still, when writing a character different from you in a major way - gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, age - you have to take extra steps to make sure you give them their humanity. They don't have to be perfect, but the best authors carefully craft the imperfections of each character.
The goal is to see if these books "resonate most with cultural insiders." The argument is that there "is no substitute for lived experience."
I love Kirkus and regularly read their reviews. They positively reviewed Night of the Virgin, after all (gulp).
I also understand the practice, in the early and middle stages of creation, for authors to rely on beta readers to make sure your characters in a story are fully fleshed out and not two-dimensional (and stereotypical). Some authors/editors wisely seek out "cultural insiders" to get their two cents.
This can and does lead to awkward conversations. As a journalist, I have been pitched to do reports and features on Mexican soccer because, drum roll, I am Chicanx and follow the national team and league, but the phone chats can feel strained. "So, Elliott, we'd love to have your writing at the site." (Endorphin overload; I remain silent) "We were thinking maybe....maybe you could do some stuff on...LigaMX?" (Scratches chin; thinks to self...I wonder why).
Awkward!
In the world of fiction, I think that a good, sharp reader can spot stereotypes in a book, and, in Kirkus' case, then a cultural insider should be consulted. The fine line between accurately and vividly describing customs associated with a group of persons like, say, Mexicans from Tamaulipas/Nuevo Leon, versus relying on rote stereotypes, can be tricky at times.
This especially gets thorny with humor and attempts at satire.
I honestly am still thinking through this stuff. I love "Own Voices Narratives" and respect the general critique against cultural appropriation, but am also terrified by the pigeon-holing that can happen. "Hey, ethnic dude! Write ethnic content for my vertical/publisher! But there's one catch - gotta be ethnic enough."
Also, on a positive note, you have cases like Lucky Boy by Shanthi Sekaran, who is an Indian American that grew up in California. Lucky Boy has a major character that is an undocumented Mexican woman. Shanthi is a woman, but a US citizen with no ties to Mexico.
And she did a helluva good job writing the character. She even did an interview about the book at Latino USA. She described the process as "daunting" because "I'm neither of those things" (when referring to Mexican heritage and undocumented immigration).
As an author, you write the world you live in, and you probably are not surrounded exclusively by affluent straight WASP males. Hopefully, you are not surrounded with carbon copies of you. And this shows up in your imaginary world's characters.
Still, when writing a character different from you in a major way - gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, age - you have to take extra steps to make sure you give them their humanity. They don't have to be perfect, but the best authors carefully craft the imperfections of each character.
