Travis Heermann's Blog, page 17
January 22, 2013
Kickstarter Funded! Stretch Goals Open!
I have some great news to report. The Kickstarter campaign to fund Sword of the Ronin has been successfully funded. Thank you to all the friends, colleagues, podcast listeners, and readers who have backed the project thus far. That’s the good news.
Now, the better news. There’s still two weeks to go! Stretch goals are now in place to raise this project to a higher level. I have brought artist Drew Baker onto the project now to produce additional artwork. If you’re familiar with the Legend of the Five Rings universe (a personal favorite of mine since 1996), you’ve likely seen Drew’s work. It is gorgeous. If the funding goes far enough, there might even be interior illustrations.
If you’ve haven’t gotten on board, there’s still time.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1883407/sword-of-the-ronin-novel-project
Furthermore, I’m grateful for any help spreading the word to anyone else who might like to get on board. People who love history, folklore, fantasy novels, samurai films, Akira Kurosawa, Japanese culture, or just plain ol’ adventure stories, perhaps even other people who enjoy supporting independent artists.
Thank you again for you support. This journey is just getting started and it’s going to be exciting.
January 6, 2013
A Scary New Endeavor, and an Internal Shift
For a long time I have been steadfastly against self-publishing my work. I have seen far too many self-published books that look like amateurish crap on the outside, and then when I open them up and read a few pages I find that is true on the inside. As much as writers often resent what we perceive to be the gatekeepers in the way of our dreams, traditional publishers do provide a value. They filter much of the good stuff from the chaff, add value to the product with professional editing (at least in theory) and copyediting (not the same thing as editing), put a cool cover on it (again, in theory), use the power of their brands and established business platforms to help sell more books (again, in theory).
There are those who will say that there is no writing that is crap; it all has value. To which I say, I heartily agree. There are few tools more useful for self-discovery, for creative expression, for learning and pedagogy, for healing and catharsis, than writing. But that doesn’t mean that all writing should be published and offered for sale. All writing is valuable to the writer; sometimes it is the most precious of things to the writer. But when it is published, it must have value for the reader, too. The readers must get something worthy for their coin, something that will enrich, or enlighten, or entertain them. And with far too many self-published books, this is lacking. This has been my own internal negative stigma for a long time.
Of course there are exceptions, and there are some real, notable success stories of self-published writers who built a following with a good product, won some awards, and then hit it big. Amanda Hocking is a name most associated with this in the last couple of years. My friend Susan Ee and her book Angelfall are another; Angelfall was recently optioned for Hollywood by Sam Raimi. So yes, there is good indie stuff out there. In Susan Ee’s case, it’s because she already had experience, and had attended the Clarion writers workshop. She was already a good writer.
But what are the problems with indie published work?
The writing is not that good, simply because the writer is not ready. They have yearned, but all they have gotten is a slew of rejections letters, so their impatience and dreams overwhelm self-awareness of their ability. All writers have blind spots with regard to their own work, so they can’t tell where their deficiencies lie–storytelling, sentence structure, plot, character development, etc.
The book is poorly edited, rife with typographical and grammar errors.
The cover is poorly designed or looks somehow amateurish.
The interior design is hard to read or unfavorable to the eye for various reasons.
Why does this happen? Because most self-published authors do everything as cheaply as they can and/or do all the work themselves. Very few people have all the skill sets necessary to produce a book. How many people out there are great writers and great graphic artists and great designers and meticulous editors? Putting a book together requires a number of people with various talents; it’s a team effort. Many indie authors don’t have the money or contacts to put together a team of pros and pay them what they’re worth.
So all of this stuff has been swimming around in the sludge between my ears for a long time. In the meantime, I’ve been writing books and stories and trying to decide what to do with them.
In 2012, I finished a draft of Sword of the Ronin, the second volume of my Ronin Trilogy. Still to this day, readers and podcast listeners of Heart of the Ronin ask me when the next book is coming out, and for a long time, I had nothing to tell them. Without going into too many details, there were a lot of experiences in 2012 that chipped away at my negative stigma against indie-publishing. I have now reached the point where I’m ready to take that leap.
Here’s the upside as I see it:
Since I’m already doing all the leg work, all the marketing, all the promotion, all the publicity for the books I already have in print, I would be a lot happier with a somewhat larger share of the returns.
I control the cover design.
I get to give fans the next book in a timely manner.
Indie publishing is not a dead-end anymore. It is an option in my Writer Toolbox. I am no longer a slave to the whims agents and editors. Nevertheless, I have a novel that I am currently marketing to traditional publishers. I expect my future as a writer will be a mixture of independent and traditional publishing. Anything that helps build a career in an industry where every … single … card is stacked against the individual writer is a positive thing.
So that’s why I am now ready to make this leap. Which brings us back to Sword of the Ronin. Since traditional publishers are unlikely to pick up a series in the middle, I felt it was best to waste no more time. There was just one more goal to producing a truly high-grade, professional product: funding.
Therefore, I launched a crowd-funding campaign on Kickstarter.
Please click here and check out the campaign. Help me make Sword of the Ronin happen.
December 16, 2012
Books and Coffee! – The Wild Boys
Come one, come all to help me celebrate the month of the release of my new YA horror-thriller, The Wild Boys.
The Wild Boys tells the story of 16-year-old girl who finds herself at the forefront of a rash of strange murders in suburban Omaha, and she soon discovers that the disappearances are just the beginning of something far more sinister.
Come out and support your favorite starving writer!
I have it on good authority from the proprietor of Bean Fosters that there will be someone there giving away free drinks from 10:00-11:00 a.m., so that’s an added bonus!
When: December 29, 2012, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Where: Bean Foster’s, Golden, Colorado
Why: Because you must have books to LIVE!
How: By pirate ship, bullet train, UFO, skateboard, donkey, or teleportation device.
December 6, 2012
Book Launch Event – The Wild Boys
Celebrating the release of my new Young Adult horror-thriller novel, The Wild Boys!
Since this is the official launch event, I’ll be doing something special, with details still being worked out.
The Wild Boys tells the story of 16-year-old girl who finds herself at the forefront of a rash of strange murders in suburban Omaha, and she soon discovers that the disappearances are just the beginning of something far more sinister.
How many novels are set in Omaha?
The book has gotten some good initial reviews, and I’m looking forward to seeing my Omaha friends.
Come out and support your favorite starving writer!
When: December 14, 2012, 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Where: Barnes & Noble, Oak View Mall, Omaha, Nebraska
Why: Ummm, because you like to read.
How: By dogsled, spacecraft, rollerskates, galleon, caravan, or mammoth.
December 2, 2012
Available Now! – The Wild Boys AND a Promo Code
It’s here! The Wild Boys storm the publishing world!
Well, not really. Too much hype…
The Wild Boys will change your life!
Sigh, still too much…
Maybe I’ll dial it back just a little.
I am proud to announce that my Young Adult horror-thriller novel has just been released by Damnation Books. And look! Just in time for the holidays!
“A fast-paced novel about love, loss, and the unforgettable scent of once being human, The Wild Boys is impossible to put down.” – Shelly Li, Scholastic Award-winning author of The Royal Hunter: Throne Under Siege
“I recommend The Wild Boys for people who like thrillers, people who like horror, and people who want to read wild chase scenes with plucky heroines (and a dog).” – Kater Cheek, author of the Kit Melbourne series
Can a 16-year-old girl stem the tide of a werewolf apocalypse?
When three younger boys show up on the doorstep of Mia’s everyday suburban existence, naked and on the run, she is drawn into a shadow world where a series of strange disappearances heralds a slowly spreading plague of lycanthropy. Mia must save the three orphaned boys from their brutal Alpha, a man-beast who believes humans are food.
A war is brewing for the top of the food chain. Mia doesn’t know it yet, but she holds the key to the future of the human race.
Promo Code!
Order by December 31, 2012, direct from Damnation Books and get 25% off with this coupon code!
Coupon Code for 25% off! – 12PE9NGO4MDS
November 26, 2012
The Next Big Thing – Author Interviews
I have been tagged in The Next Big Thing, a series of interconnected interviews where writers talk about their current projects. I have tagged three fellow authors below, and you can follow the links to their web pages, but in the meantime, here is what I have been up to.
1) What is the working title of your next book?
Death Wind.
2) Where did the idea come from for the book?
It’s the adaptation of a screenplay that I wrote with my friend, Jim Pinto. Jim and I collaborated on a metric ton of roleplaying supplements, so a few years ago, he said to me, “Hey, let’s write a screenplay!” So I thought, “Hmmm, sounds like fun.” So Death Wind is the second screenplay we wrote. It was born out the desire to do some sort of little-seen-before mash-up, so we brainstormed some ideas and the idea of pseudo-Lovecraftian zombie western jumped out at us.
3) What genre does your book fall under?
Horror-western.
4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
Since we were writing a screenplay initially, this came up for discussion several times.
Charles Zimmerman, pioneer doctor – John Hawkes
Hank Zimmerman, the town marshal – Lance Henriksen (this character was written with him firmly in mind.)
Amelia Zimmerman, Charles’ wife, schoolteacher – Paula Malcomsen
Little Fox, Lakota medicine woman – Cinthia Moura or Mozhan Marno
Red Horse, Lakota warrior – Rodney A. Grant
Fred McMurphy, gutshot cowboy – Giovanni Ribisi
5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
In 1891, a pioneer doctor investigates a series of bizarre murders near a Lakota Sioux reservation and uncovers a forgotten tribe of nomadic, subhuman cannibals bent on sacrificing the entire populations of the reservation and the nearby town of White Pine to the cannibals’ dark god, a bloodthirsty, sentient tornado.
6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
At this point, I have had several small presses express interest in seeing the completed manuscript. I’m also going to submit it several literary agencies. There is no intention of self-publishing at this point, but where it will end up remains to be seen.
7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
An actual complete novel manuscript took about four months, but I was working from a screenplay that had been written previously over the course of about a year and a half.
8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I’ve never even heard of another book like this one. There is not a lot of Weird Western out there. This book is something like “Lovecraft and Romero dance with wolves,” but it’s a more complex story than that.
9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?
When our screenplay won first place at the CINEQUEST Film Festival in San Jose this year, and 2nd place at the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival–L.A. last fall, a lot of people were telling us how great the story was. One of the judges in San Jose congratulated me and told me, “This is how Cowboys and Aliens should have been done!”
So the next logical step was to see if the same interest could be found in the literary world.
As for where the story came from, we were drawing on our love of spaghetti westerns, Ennio Morricone, Clint Eastwood, gritty films like Unforgiven, and of course H.P. Lovecraft and George Romero, plus some powerful inspirations from Native American mythology.
10) What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?
Sub-human cannibals and a sentient tornado! What’s not to like?
Like Romantic Suspense? Try Kim McMahill -Blog: http://kimmcmahill.blogspot.com; Website: http://kimmcmahill.com
Interested in Erotica and Dark Fantasy? Look up Betsy Dornbusch - http://www.betsydornbusch.com/
Steampunk fan? Check out Quincy J. Allen – http://www.quincyallen.com/
Check out their titles here!
November 17, 2012
Damnation Discount!
So maybe you’ve been thinking about grabbing a copy of my horror novella, Snakes, or better still, a copy of my YA horror-thriller The Wild Boys when it comes out on December 1st.
Guess what! Now you can get 25% off cover price direct from the publisher, and this applies to e-books and trade paperbacks.
Just go to the Damnation Books website and order direct.
Click here for Snakes.
Click here for The Wild Boys.
Coupon Code for 25% off! – 12PE9NGO4MDS
And thank you for your support!
November 7, 2012
Goodreads Giveaways – Rogues and Ronin!
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
Heart of the Ronin
by Travis Heermann
Giveaway ends November 11, 2012.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
Rogues of the Black Fury
by Travis Heermann
Giveaway ends November 11, 2012.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
October 25, 2012
Just in Time for Halloween! A Slithering Giveaway
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
Snakes
by Travis Heermann
Giveaway ends November 05, 2012.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
October 19, 2012
Mile Hi Con Schedule
I’m looking forward to attending my third Mile Hi Con this weekend! For those of you who have never attended, it’s a great convention with a surprising number of great authors. As for me, I’m looking forward to seeing friends I only run into at conventions and making some new ones.
My schedule this weekend will be:
Friday, October 19
5:00 pm – The Essentials: 10 SF Movies Every Fan Should See
7:00 pm – Reading (w/ Molly Tanzer)
9:00 pm – Writers Networking in the Bar (w/ co-hosts David Boop, and others)
Saturday, October 20
11:00 am – Autograph Table
12:00 pm – Writer Beware: Scams Aimed at Writers
2:00 pm – DASFA Turkey Readoff
