Mike Jastrzebski's Blog, page 77

Guest Blogger Pat Schulte

By Pat Schulte

When I stumble across a good book these days I often google the author just to get a better feel for what he or she is about. Yet more often than not I'm led to some generic homepage, often produced by the author's publisher, that gives me very little insight into who this person is, but plenty of information on how to buy their books. I just don't get it. What author doesn't want to interact with the people who are reading his books? A personal connection almost certainly leads to sales.

 

My blog is the sole reason I can loosely call myself a writer today. Eight years ago I started Bumfuzzle as a way of sharing my sailing life with friends and family back home. Believe it or not there weren't any cruising blogs back then. I had to buy a program and teach myself HTML. It is hard to fathom now as it seems that every boat on the water could simply add a .blogspot.com to the end of the name on their stern.

 

For me Bumfuzzle was the very first step in my becoming a writer. Over the years I found my voice, my tone, my pace, and discovered how to translate my humor, or lack thereof, onto the screen. And my readers, 130,000 page views per month strong, have stuck with me for the long ride.

 

My blog is the reason that Bumfuzzle the book is still selling well today, three years after it came out. Which is the exact opposite of writing a book first, waiting for readers to somehow stumble across it, and then pointing those people to a generic blog. I gathered the readers and then gave them a book to read. I didn't set out to do that, but there's no reason one couldn't.

 

Let me just say that creating a blog following is far easier than creating a book following. Books don't link to you. Books don't go viral. Books are just books. And they're great. But if you want your book to sell well there is no better way than to gather a blog following.

 

Blog readers are loyal. They bookmark you if they like you and they come back again and again as long as you write something. Which you, of course, will do every day. And when you release your long anticipated book they will be the first to go out and buy it. And when you ask them to be sure and leave a review on Amazon they will do exactly that. Why? Because they are your friends. You may not know them and you may never meet them, but that's what they are. And your friends are always going to buy your books and tell their other friends to do so as well.

 

You get the idea. This isn't physics.

 

For me, over time, the blog became nothing more than a diary of daily life. I've found that, one, I love being able to look back and both see and read about what I did on a particular day in a particular place. And two, I enjoy bringing my readers along for the ride. They've traveled along as my wife Ali and I sailed around the world. They joined us as we drove around most of it in our old VW bus. They shared in our joy as we made the transition to parents. They cheered when we bought another boat. And they repaid us for all those hours posting about our lives by buying our book, reviewing it, and sharing it with others.

 

For the independent authors, and those striving to become one, among us I can't think of a better, more satisfying way to reach readers and to interact with them. I wouldn't be able to fill out my puny tax form with Author listed as my employment if it weren't for the humble blog.

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Waiting on Weather

Chris, Jan, Ray, Jane, Bob: Emmy Kate's Crew

"I am writing this post on Sunday, November 6th the day before we are supposed to start the Caribbean 1500 Rally. There should be 61 boats taking off on Monday at noon to sail from Norfolk, VA either to the Bahamas or to Nanny Cay on Tortola in the British Virgin Islands."

That was how I began this post last weekend, and I set it up with a schedule to appear on the following Friday, November 11th. I assumed we would be halfway to the Caribbean by then. Unfortunately, the weather gods had other plans and a little fellow named TS Sean was born on Monday morning. The organizers of the Caribbean 1500 held a meeting in the parking lot of the Bluewater Marine Center. A large crowd of folk clad in sea boots and colorful foul weather gear assembled at 8:30 a.m. All had been preparing for a noon departure. Rick climbed up on a table and read the weather forecast along with the announcement that the start was officially delayed until Wednesday. On Wednesday came the announcement that the start would be Friday.

The amazing thing is that though we felt ready to go on Monday, we have found things to do on the boat every single day we've had to wait. And we've been eating our way through the provisions I bought, so I've been having to re-buy and re-stow.  The good part is that I have been able to sneak away from time to time to do a little bit of work on the book. When I do, though, I feel guilty because everyone else is working on the boat.

The boat we are sailing aboard the Emmy Kate, a 2011 Lagoon 400 with a crew of five including the owners, our captain Jan, crewman Bob and me.  As chief cook and bottle washer, I have spent the days working with the owner's wife making lists, shopping, and stowing. It takes a lot of food to feed a crew of five on a 1500 mile passage.

Preparations

One of the fun parts of doing a rally like this is the fact that friends and family at home get to track out position through the Fleet Viewer. Just click on that link and you will see a chart with the location and track of all the boats in the fleet. Hopefully, by the time you read this we will be away from the dock and heading out the bay, at least.

Many folks in the rally submit daily blogs via email either by a modem on the Single Sideband Radio or via satellite phone. The Emmy Kate has tons of very cool gear aboard including a night vision monocular, a joystick for steering, and an Iridium satellite phone. The owner, Ray, has asked me to be the blogger for our boat, so I hope to be submitting daily updates. You will be able to read the blog by going to the World Cruising Clubs Daily Blogs homepage. And though I have high hopes that I will get some work done on my novel while underway, that remains to be seen.

Finally, I've brought my own SPOT along on the trip, and I'll be broadcasting my location as TALESPINNER, although in reality I'm traveling on this big boat with lots of crew and my little Caliber is waiting for me at the New Bern Grand Marina in North Carolina. We're hoping to cover the 1300 to 1500 miles of this trip in about 7-10 days.  I have a ticket to fly from St. Thomas to Fort Lauderdale on November 21st and it's possible that I might not make it in time. You'll be able to figure out whether I'll make it or not by watching on the Fleet Viewer. Hopefully, I'll fly to Fort Lauderdale to spend Thanksgiving with my son and then rejoin my own boat some time in December for the cold trip south.

Fair winds!

Christine

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Taking note…

C.E. Grundler

We can has back porch? This could be the ugliest cockpit enclosure ever, but it isn't.

(Photo unrelated to post, but shows what we've been up to over the last few days.)

These days, two things dominate my life, each competing in turn for my attention. For much of the week my mind is on my writing, though plans of attack on the boat reconstruction still whisper through my head, especially during the darkest, quiet hours. And from Friday night through Sunday I switch to 'boat' mode, though my muses refuse to take a break; they're chattering away with snippets of dialog and plot twists that leave me scrambling for my spiral notebook. Ideas spill across each page, forming an undated journal of character notes, cabin dimensions and measurements for cutting wood, names and phone numbers for contacts of all sorts, appointments, grocery and hardware store lists, you name it. I can only imagine what someone might think if they every leafed through the scribbled pages, where notes on pipe bombs and EMF detectors are mixed with vet appointments for the dog and statements like "when is the best time to kill Neil?" and "It's all Annabel's fault."

These little notebooks have been my system since  grammar school, starting, I recall, with a homework pad that began to encompass far more than mundane math assignments. For years I've favored the 6.5" x 9" pads, large enough to write a decent amount per page yet small enough to slip into my messenger bag. And I've long since discovered that it was pointless trying to divide the contents into specific sections; in my life it all overlaps anyways and organization beyond writing *everything* critical down is a lost cause. Chronological works best for me – I start on the first clean page and continue until I've run out of paper.

Recently I was sorting through a box of books that had been packed away and stumbled across a stack of old notebooks. It was fascinating; each one a time-capsule, reflecting my thoughts and priorities of that particular point in life. I've never been one to keep a journal, but among the names and lists, the text and ideas, I saw a candid snapshot of my day-to-day life, strange as it may be. It was fascinating to look back upon these pages, revisiting long forgotten dreams and concerns, goals long since achieved and times and dates for my daughter's upcoming graduation – from kindergarten! In the days before computers (remember those) my handwriting was far neater and much smaller due to better vision and the desire to maximize every inch of paper. These days the penmanship, if you can even call it that, is abysmal at best, and my writing has evolved into a mutant shorthand, strewn with cryptic abbreviations and odd symbols. It goes to show how much technology has affected my life – and how much it never will. I can only imagine what my notebooks will look like and what they will contain in years to come.

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On assignment – Amalfi Coast

Last month, Write On The Water had me on assignment in Italy, checking out boating along the Amalfi Coast. (If you haven't noticed, Write on The Water is branching out in a big way with Christine heading to the Caribbean, Mike readying for the Bahamas, and Michael Haskins covering the island principality known as the Conch Republic. What, you question this? Coming from a fiction writer?)

Anyway, I was, in fact, in Italy where I took advantage of my language skills – I can count to ten in Italian, at least on occasion, and I can swear like a local courtesy of the fact that my brother-in-law grew up in Assisi (I paid close attention to the many compliments he directed at me over the years).

My skill as a Write on the Water foreign correspondent was in evidence our first night in the country. My wife and I landed in Rome and headed out for dinner that evening. I expect that I impressed our waiter with my casual use of words "vino" and "acqua." Or perhaps it was my keen culinary eye that zeroed in on pizza and prosciutto.

At some point during our meal my wife leaned toward me and asked about one of those phrases passed along years ago by my brother-in-law. For the life of me, I couldn't retrieve the words from my memory bank. Che…Che…I had it right on the tip of my tongue. Che…Che…then it occurred to me. "Che Palle!" I shouted. Heads turned. After all, blurting out "Such balls!" is a bit of a shocker regardless of where you are. My face was very rosso with embarrassment.

But I digress. This blog is about writing and boating so let's focus on the trip to the Amalfi Coast. We drove straight from Rome. While most people advise against driving in Rome, my brother-in-law, yes the same one, advised me that I would be all set as long as I had a GPS. And all set we were. That is until the GPS froze as we entered a half mile tunnel and missed our subterranean turn-off. But we soon found our way south, where I navigated the cliffside hairpin turns and switchbacks along the drive by Sorrento where I did my best to keep in mind that I was behind the wheel of a car and not at the joystick of an X-box. By sunset we were in our lovely hotel room at the Poseidon Inn along the steep incline of Positano.

Once there, off to the water I went, camera in hand, author's inquisitive mind engaged. And here's what I have to report. Double-ended fishing dories, powered by small outboards and a lanteen sail, lining the beaches. Oversized european go-fast runabouts tied to moorings. Wonderful center consoles designed to shuttle tourists to and from the Blue Grotto on Capri. RIB inflatables of all sizes for zipping folks all around.

And what does this suggest? First and foremost, it means you should head for the Amalfi Coast if you have the chance. Second, it's encouragement that we have potential overseas readers who share a life along the edge of the water. Third, it hints that my protagonist may one day find himself in Rome and he just might blurt out an unintended word or two of Italian.

But for now. Ciao.

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Humility

Michael & singer-songwriter Scott Kirby

Writers must have thick skin or the rejection slips and unreturned phone calls will penetrate to the heart, not to mention what negative reviews will do! Writers also need to practice humility. I have these past few days.

Last week was the gathering of Jimmy Buffett fans – ParrotHeads. They've been gathering here in Key West for more than 10 years, celebrating Margaretaville. Remember, Buffett has to be in his 60s now and most of his fans are close to that or have past it by. Kind of strange seeing these people behaving like teens.

Scott Kirby, a Key West singer-songwriter, is popular with this crowd and since I took the title of my latest book – Free Range Institution – from one of his songs, he thought it would be a good idea if I signed the book the nights he performed at the Smokin' Tuna Saloon.

I thought it was a great idea! Scott's fans would buy copies of my book like salmon swimming upstream!

Thursday night I showed up, Angela the night manager helped me with a table and chair close to the stage, and I was prepared to sell books. Unfortunately, I wasn't prepared for only three sales. Come on, I thought I had it all going for me. The ParrotHeads are mostly empty nesters, spend like drunken sailors and dress like it's a costume party – which is really, kind of, is.

Saturday night was a little better, but not much. I remember Dennis Lehane speaking at SleuthFest in March about showing up for signings and only a half dozen people came. It even happens to writers of Lahane's stature.

While I didn't make the sales I hoped for, I did meet a dozen or so people who've read my work, some on Kindle, and we talked about the story lines and characters. Some liked Murphy, some Padre Thomas. My bubby Texas Rich took photos for my website and people talking to me and buying books had their photo with me too. One woman said she was happy to meet me but needed the photo of us together so her friends in Ohio would believe she met me, "A real Key West writer." Words like that are good for the ego! If I had walked out early because of no sales, I wouldn't have met her. I felt good knowing that meeting me had made her day, it made my day – or in this case, my night.

I learned humility at many book signings. I want to be popular and sell more books, but it hasn't happened – yet – and it may never. I like book signings because I enjoy talking to readers. I like finding out what attracts them to the book, or their favorite character or least favorite. I think those that show up at signings are a little envious of writers too. If they only knew how tough a road we travel.

So, when your book is published, and you go to your first signing, or your 100th, go in humbly because those people waiting to meet you and hear what you have to say are the most important people you'll ever meet. If they see a phony, they'll tell friends. If they meet someone that impresses them by giving them time and listening to them, they'll tell friends and they'll be looking forward to your next signing. A little humility might keep egg off your face. It has worked that way for me.

Learn humility, the road to success is paved with humble bricks.

www.michaelhaskins@bellsouth.net

"The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity."

Dorothy Parker.

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Goodreads drawing and Bookrooster review update.

By Mike Jastrzebski

I posted awhile back about advertising on Goodreads. I had done a $60.00 ad and decided to do another. The problem is it's impossible to determine how many sales the ads generated. I think they resulted in some sales and I think my B&N Nook sales were up, but it's pure speculation. Still, I do not rule out another ad with Goodreads.

After my newest book, Dog River Blues (A Wes Darling Mystery), was released in paperback I ran a Goodreads give away. I offered 5 paperback copies of my book in the Goodreads drawing and over a six week period I had 675 readers enter the drawing. This resulted in 61 readers adding me to their to-read lists.

In contrast, in the year I've belonged to Goodreads 34 readers added The Storm Killer to theirs to-read lists and 36 people added

Key Lime Blues (A Wes Darling Mystery). This included the time I ran the paid ads.

As for Bookrooster, I have to say I'm disappointed in the results. They guarantee to keep your book available until 10 reviews have been posted on Amazon. My book went live with them the first week in September and in a three week period I received 4 reviews. I have not received a single review from Bookrooster since September 23rd. I have talked to several other authors who signed up for the service and had the same problem.

As a result I will not be using Bookrooster for my new book or any other books until I've received the 6 more reviews. Since it's been six weeks since my last review from their readers, I don't expect that to happen. It's too bad, the review service is a great concept but it hasn't worked for me.

To purchase my books for your Nook eReader click here: http://tinyurl.com/7cjjt82.

To purchase for Sony eReaders click here: http://tinyurl.com/7f8xsw6.

To purchase for all other eReaders click here: http://tinyurl.com/75ro5cg.

Amazon.com Widgets

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Those First Days

I'll never forget that first morning I woke up aboard my new boat at the town dock. I had stayed out far too late the night before inspecting the quality of some of Mr. Molson's product with friends. Instead of the quiet chirping of birds, I heard the plaintive voice of an eight year old girl, at far too early an hour – "Daddy, you put the worm on the hook for me please."

I had awakened to a children's fishing derby. There were 350 children crowded onto every slip in the marina, including the one right beside my berth. This was not the serene and stress free sailing life I had heard and dreamed about. Hangovers need quiet time to heal and this wasn't helping mine in the least.

At some time in your sailing life, you must spend a summer at a public dock rather than a marina. It is a most interesting and entertaining experience. It can also, if you are single, be a rewarding way to meet attractive women who would like to go sailing.

While I knew the basics of sailing, it had been a long time since I had sailed at all. Fortunately, sailing is like sex or riding a bike. You never really forget, although your technique may need work. Also, like sex, there is always something new to learn, which make both sex and sailing far more interesting than biking, at least in my opinion!

The first sail on Publisher's Choice was six miles, from Penetang Harbour to the Midland Town Dock, with the marina manager's son crewing for me. We set out in a 10 knot west wind, meaning that we would sail to a port beam reach, jibe to a run and then a starboard beam reach into the docks.

It was later in the day (a Tuesday, I took the day off) when we set out and, while off Midland Point, the sun shone on the water in a bronze swath ending at my transom. Into that glow, another boat sailed behind us, becoming a silhouette against the falling sun. It was so beautiful it could only be an omen of great sailing to come. I was totally entranced and more than ever convinced that I was doing the right thing. The only thing that could make it better would be to sell my first boat, as I would now be paying two slip fees. This is not a good thing for a boater on a budget I can assure you. Avoid it at all costs.

I am one of those sailors who will not use his engine unless he has to. I fire up the iron genny to enter and leave the marina and, if need be, to get out to wind. I will fire it up in a narrow or difficult channel as a safety measure but not put it in gear unless severe conditions – such as mindless power boaters – make it necessary. And I will use it if lack of wind, severe weather or safety issues dictate, and for anchoring.

That first summer, from May to the end of November and sailing every weekend, I burned $17 in gas. My power boating friends hated me with a passion every time the subject of fuel costs came up. They burn that much just getting out of the marina.

The next year, I managed to use about $20 worth of gas, but that included a bad weather day in one to two meter waves when the sails came down on my return to the marina. On the other hand, fuel prices were up 15% so I probably used close to the same amount. This year though, being in a sailor's marina, the issue never comes up. Most of us rarely use our engines. And isn't that the way it's supposed to be?

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Where do you get your ideas?

This is the question writers hear so often from non-writers.

Something about the way that sounds makes me imagine a place where you go and pick up a handful of ideas — like an idea tree.

I've never found a tree or a fountain of ideas, but I will admit to going trolling for ideas a few years back. I had written four books in my Sechelle Sullivan series, and I wanted to write a big stand alone thriller, so I wrote to a friend whom I knew to be a maritime archeologist and I asked him if he knew of any mysterious events or shipwrecks I could write about. He sent me a list and one jumped out at me. It was the story of the mysterious disappearance of the French submarine SOURCOUF in 1942. This brief article and old newsreel footage show how amazing the story is.

http://bernews.com/2011/10/mystery-of...

So, I found my idea and I spent the next five years fleshing out that idea with characters and details and events. I found all those sub-ideas (pun intended) by imagining certain characters and then making up how they might have played a part in the disappeance of this mighty sub. And so was born Circle of Bones.

I'm nearly done with the edits of CoB, and it's a good time to be looking for an idea for the next book.

So, today, I flew into Norfolk and the owners of Emmy Kate picked me up anddrove me to the boat in Hampton. I moved aboard. This evening, I went to a reception of the owners and crew of this Caribbean 1500 group. I learned that there are people who do this race every year as well as rank beginners. And my wicked little mind began putting together a plot.

That's where I get my ideas from.

Fair winds!

Christine

Posted from my iPad due to lack of Internet

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Sailing through the storm…

C.E. Grundler

I had hoped we'd have the salon ceiling project all wrapped up over the weekend, but apparently, Mother Nature had other plans. I'll admit, I'd heard a rumor of the approaching snow, though I dismissed it as news hype, and figured we'd wind up with a few flakes to a dusting, and when the boat in question is stored indoors, other than temperature affecting epoxy set times, weather is of little concern. Or so I thought.

Saturday dawned grey and chilly, and we ate a hearty breakfast. I let the dogs out to the yard, and when they came in their coats were soaked. "Is it raining already?" my husband asked. "No. It's snowing." But not the flurries I'd expected. Within minutes the ground was white, coated with a layer of heavy, damp snow. In our neck of the woods they were projecting 1-3", but up by the boat in the Hudson Valley, it could reach 6-10". It wasn't as though we wanted to throw in the towel, but we both knew a slow set on the epoxy would bring work to a crawl.

The snowfall continued, and three hours later we'd already passed six inches, and that's when everything took a turn for the worse. Normally by this time of year most trees had turned and at least begun to shed their leaves. But after the excessively wet summer, only a few had begun to show their fall colors, and most in our heavily wooded area were still August lush with healthy green leaves – leaves now straining under unimaginably heavy snow. The weakest limbs went first, snapping with a sound like gunfire as they reached their limit and came crashing down, ripping power lines from houses and in some cases taking the entire utility pole with them as well. Electricity flashed blue outside our house and live wires lay across our lawn, and for the next few hours the snow continued to build, snapping more and more limbs. It sounded like a war-zone, and left the ground littered with splintered wood and high-voltage wires. Then the winds came, sending down the branches still hung up on other limbs.

By nightfall the worst was over, but the temperature was dropping and it was obvious we wouldn't be seeing power for some time to come. It was time to fire up the generator. Our space heater, ironically, was aboard the boat, but figuring we might be down for an extended time my husband disconnected the furnace from the house wiring and cut then end of an extension cord, providing the furnace power from the generator. The house was warm and with a gas stove hot meals weren't an issue, and neither were hot showers, with the gas hot water heater. A few lanterns provided plenty of light and board games provided entertainment. On Sunday morning hot coffee was percolating on the stove top while I cooked up the cold-cuts, onions and peppers into tasty omelet. Later that day I collected up some defrosting steaks, shoveled a path to the grill, lit the charcoal, and we had a wonderful barbeque.

Through this all, I listened over the radio to reports of the storm's extensive damage. Our power returned on Tuesday, but I know of many who still await their utilities. And while I'll admit while this storm caught me by surprise, (having a boat indoors has left me less in tune with the weather,) we rode it out with minimal inconvenience. I suspect that comes, in part, from years aboard boats. When we were restoring this house, we deliberately set it up to run exactly as it did in this sort of circumstance. Electricity is a convenience, but not a necessity. We're always provisioned with non-perishables, enough to live off for a few weeks if need be.

Years ago I heard someone say how sailors are useful people to have around – they always know how to fix things and make them work. And as I listen to news reports of people riding this out without heat, hot meals or showers, it makes me appreciate my sailing background that much more.

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Why I am here. Reasons to Write.

Recently I have been analysing my love life and in doing so stumbled on a blog by an anonymous player who goes by the pseudonym, Chase Amante (bear with me here; don't roll your eyes). Of course his number one objective is to "bed women quickly," but if go past the superficiality, he comes up with some pretty deep sociological observations. For instance the women of Write on the Water might have a strong reaction to his article titled Should You Pay for a Date? He is a smart guy in a shallow field of work, and I admire his writing skills.

Reading the articles makes me reflect anew on why I started blogging and what my goals are. I was inspired by niche online authors just like Chase who entertained or stimulated my thoughts. I promised myself that someday I would share everything I learned in the hopes that my articles would stimulate someone navigating through a similarly wayward sea of life. I started writing my amateur yachting blog over at Waves three years ago while embarking on a career as a professional yacht broker. An interest in camaraderie led me to Write on the Water.

Below are two of my blogging heros that influenced me to start in the first place.

Assaf Oron

I took a statistics course in college whose teacher, Assaf Oron, wrote a political blog at Daily Kos and still does. He was an obviously interesting guy, an Israeli living in America with a good sense of humour, and an excellent teacher though he did not know it. I found his blog linked to his faculty webpage. I still do not know whether I agree or not with his views, but I thought it was cool to see into another world in his life, a world he did not mention at all during class. I do not know either if anyone else knew he had a blog, and, despite never talking to him about it, I felt like we shared a secret. I would check and read his new posts eagerly and learned as much about Israeli politics as statistics. For instance did you know that if you write Israel-Palestine and Israel/Palestine mean different things? Some of his posts were incredibly popular on Daily Kos with hundreds of comments, so many that I could not read them all. It made me think it would be cool to write a blog someday and meet people in person who had read my posts – or even just to have them slyly read my posts and wink at me from the back of a crowded classroom.

Ricky Williams

I learned about the Wayback Internet Machine, a little known but incredible resource for retrieving old online content. I used it to pull back the journals of Ricky Williams, the kooky football star whose novel commentary has always spoken to me. His blog contained a fascinating dialogue of personal opinions and day to day vignettes. I like when he finished off one post by hoping his coach was not reading Run Ricky Run, the name of his blog. It is an amazing thing to see into the unfiltered mind of someone so successful and unique. I think that accessibility is a wonderful feature of the online world. You can follow Ricky on Twitter these days.

Question

Assaf and Ricky among many others inspired me to blog at some point in my life. I hope my backlinks ping their sites, and they are rewarded by knowing that someone is foolish enough to repeat their mistaken blogging efforts. Have any bloggers inspired you to write? Who? And feel free to share your opinion on Chase's writing if you follow through to his site.

Please feel free to visit my Wednesday post on Waves which should be a review of the FLIBS if WordPress has not fouled me up and delayed my post scheduled for midnight.

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