Barbara G. Tarn's Blog, page 118
January 8, 2015
Random Friday
The artists responses to the Paris shooting or 23 Heartbreaking Cartoons From Artists Responding To The Charlie Hebdo��Shooting to which I would like to add two more from DeviantART – my once cover artist Elephant Wendigo and cartoonist David Ayala. Their drawings say it all, so no more words.
I’m currently wondering which would be best for research purposes for my next experiment, although I know the answers: the lazy way is watching related movies (such as Moon and Sunshine), the real way is to read books in the similar vein to try to write in that genre.
I have both classics such as Ray Bradbury or Rendez Vous With Rama, but also two SFF bundles still on my Kindle… so I will probably try those instead. Just to get in the mood. It’s not completely out of my reach, but a little out of my comfort zone yes. I think it’s called Hard SF and I’m bad with science and technology.
Even if I get in the mood, I know I’ll have to do research on a few basic things. And I wanted to do Astronomy at university! ;) Except I soon realized it was all maths, and I’m not a maths person, so I gave up even before I finished high school. I wanted to write Hard SF like Asimov and ended up writing fantasy so I could make up stuff without bothering with being realistic, LOL!
So while I ponder which is the next step and wait for betas on Star Minds Next Generation Diaries and re-read Star Minds Next Generation (one last pass before sending it to editor) and keep reassessing this year’s goals… I’ll just wish you a wonderful weekend! ;) Maybe next Friday I’ll have something to show for this weekend’s work and it might be the first Art Friday of the new year…
January 6, 2015
Writer Wednesday
And we have the first published title of the new year – and since it’s in English, I didn’t really bother with EU VAT. Like they say here, e-book prices are still stable, but the authors/publishers will take a hit, earning less for each title… Next weekend I’ll have to work on my Italian titles pricing since Amazon kindly informed me that the 4% VAT is only on e-books with ISBNs. I should have known, the law was pushed by the people who issue Italian ISBNs… but to me a book is a book even without an ISBN – especially an e-book! :(
So unless I manage to take all those Italian readers away from Amazon, I’m going to earn less on Amazon this year, since I don’t want to buy ISBNs for the mobi files only. They’re quite expensive and not really worth it – so 20th century like a friend of mine says! They might go the way of the dodo sometime in the near future, so I won’t bother. I guess living off my royalties just got postponed, since half of my earnings last year was from Amazon Italia. Sigh.
Anyhow, as promised, here’s the whole and full story of Kilig the Sword, with a bonus novella on a secondary character that shows up in Kilig&Hakeem (I changed the cover on this one and put one of mine – less nice, but it will have to do, otherwise it’s too similar to the novel version). The cover is the one by Cinzia Di Felice, and the POD version is actually the best. I’m waiting for the final proof, and then you’ll see both versions. In the meantime, the e-book is available on Amazon, Kobo, Apple, Barnes&Noble, Smashwords and DriveThruFiction! :) For all those M/M romance lovers out there, especially if the HEA is not a must! ;)
A few links to start the year: How to Master (and Survive) a Career as a Solo Writer! by Jennifer Brown Banks. As you might know, I’m married to Mr Writing and have Da Muses constantly giving me new ideas for new stories, but… the reality is, I’m on my own. I have very few people cheering me on so I must be really stubborn to keep doing it! ;)
Two more articles on the new world of publishing by Dean Wesley Smith: Control and Getting knocked off a goal. Have you made your goals yet? I did, but I’m not making them public at this time. January is still the month of assessing and programming, so I won’t be ready for another week or so! ;)
But since I set wordcount goals, I will report my monthly wordcount on the 1st Wednesday of each month on this very blog. So, from February I’ll let you know how many new words I’ve written, and how much translations I’ve done, since I mentioned I plan on having translations both ways this year.
Kris Rusch is back with her business posts, so keep an eye on her blog. Lost of wisdom there! ;) Also check Mark Coker’s Smashwords year in review and plans for 2015. Happy writing year, everyone! :)
January 4, 2015
Sunday Surprise
Let’s start the new year well! Words of wisdom and writers on writing to take home. Here’s to 2015 filled with more wise quotes!
How do people find your work? By having choices. Some people might like the cover on your very first novel, and buy it for that reason. Some people don���t find you until your fifteenth novel. Some people like your short stories or, as some of you have pointed out on a recent blog of mine, some of people find your fiction through your nonfiction.
Write. Write a lot. Then write more.
Don���t even bother to try to be ���discovered��� until you have a body of work. Not one novel. Not even two novels. Maybe not three or four or five. Worry about being discovered after you���ve published a good handful of novels or short stories or plays or nonfiction books. Enough to fill a computer screen when someone is scrolling, looking for something to read.
I am not telling you to wait to publish.
Got that?
I think you should publish the very first thing you finish. If you want to be traditionally published, send that very first thing to editors who might buy it. If you want to be a hybrid writer or an indie writer, then publish that thing after it���s gone through a first reader and a copy editor. Get it out into the world.
You might not sell a single copy.
You might sell hundreds or thousands or tens of thousands.
The only way to know is to make the work available.
But first, you have to do the work.
That work is writing.
Write what you love. Tell the best story you can. Then, once you���ve finished that story, start a new story. Make it even better than the first.
Self-publishing is not a gold rush.
Success at writing requires, in addition to long hours and hard work, a lot of luck .
Check out my advice to aspiring writers, there on the left hand side of the front page. Check every interview I���ve ever given and any blog post where I mention what authors should expect. I���ve beaten this drum louder and longer than any other drum, including my love of self-publishing. I say it all the time.��You have to write because you love it. You can���t expect to make a living at this. Luck is involved. Most won���t make it.
This revolution isn’t about Konrath making a million dollars a year.��
This revolution is about writers, for the first time ever, having power.
We have a choice. And it’s our duty to make ALL writers aware of this choice.
Visit www.authorearnings.com. Fill out the survey and petition. Link to it. Tweet it. Discuss it on Facebook. Speak out and tell your peers what your experiences are. Even if you make $10 a year, you’re not a failure. Failure is giving up. Failure is handing your fate over to someone else. Failure is not arming yourself with information.
Ebooks are forever. Understand what copyright is. Understand that money flows toward the writer. Understand that the more control you have, the less likely you are to be at the mercy of others.
The first step, in any revolution, is making the exploited aware of how they’re being exploited. We have a growing body of evidence that shows self-publishing is good, and legacy publishing is exploitative.
We need to share that evidence if we want change to happen.
Tell your stories. Be proud of your accomplishments. Stop succeeding in silence.
If you want to make pictures or write stories, no one can stop you.
You do not need to be a pro to be happy. The pursuit of the pro career for which some people simply are not suited has led many people to great unhappiness. I was not suited for a career in music, despite 12 long years of banging away at it.
Know thyself.
It isn���t a question of whether or not this is something you want to do: the question is, can you make a living at it?
You don���t have to make a living at art to enjoy making art. Give yourself the freedom to make art without the burden of art making you.
In this modern world of publishing, there is no one way, no right way, no perfect path.
My suggestion is to keep your eyes open on the publishing side, look around, try one way or another, and be willing to change if something sounds right.
Do a writing plan and a business plan as to where you want to be in five years and figure out if the plan is realistic for your writing.
Write to passion.
And never listen to anyone who tells you there is only one right way.
There is only your way.
Experiment, learn, find it, and have fun.
January 1, 2015
Random Friday
So, between unmissable family gatherings, writing, programming the new year and checking results of the finishing year, I finally had time to watch a few movies.
First was Inkaar (2013) with Arjun Rampal & Chitrangada Singh – I had seen her in Desi Boyz and I am following him since he’s second after Muse #2 on my Bollywood list, so I got meself a few of his movies. Loved the soundtrack, and liked the movie – again, Arjun doesn’t dance (just once I saw him dance and can’t remember the title of the movie, LOL!), but he can kiss on screen, so… Go, Arjun! ;) Both looked great in this story, and I had to wonder until the end who was telling the truth… but it’s not a mystery, just a love story gone wrong.
To continue with the same guy, I watched Chakravyuh as well – although I don’t like him with a moustache (same with someone else, LOL). Heh. Tastes are subjective! ;) And there was also Abhay Deol, again called Kabir like in Zindagi… and playing the sort-of-crazy best friend. Anyway, tragic bromance with some kind of moral that unfortunately doesn’t apply only to India, but I won’t spoiler you, in case you want to watch it.
While writing SMNG Diaries I did a search that brought me to this site of Chinese oroscope. Just for fun, I tried matching myself with Da Muses and was shocked to find out I have 90% compatibility with someone who is almost 10 years younger than me and only 80% with someone who looks like the perfect age! Here are the funny results:
Which doesn’t mean I’ll do my best to form a relationship with any of them, especially since one has been predicted he’ll remarry within the next two years and I have no intention of getting married at this time! ;) So I wish him all the best – well, both all the best, and will keep daydreaming and writing and drawing for the rest of the year…
I might turn half a century this year, but this doesn’t mean I’ve grown up or killed the child inside me! ;) Here’s to a great 2015, everyone! :D
December 30, 2014
Writer Wednesday
As the year nears to its end, I’ve sort of figured out what I want to do next year. Well, writing, publishing, drawing and watching movies as usual, but I managed to make a sort of priority list – how I’ll stick to it, that’s another story! ;)
I might have said this before, but this year I realized how few new stories I wrote since I started the indie publishing adventure. The first books were all translations of old stories. Then last year I bumped into a couple of un-rewriteable stories (in fact one is rewritten but still unpublished because I feel it’s still too episodic, like the original) and I wrote some new stories that were a hell of a lot of fun.
I started using the Writing Planner to keep track of writing. Monday 29th (first available date on the planner) I wrote more than 8000 words of SMNG Diaries, yay! Of course it’s still the Holidays, so I’ll have to see how I fare when it’s over and I’m back to the usual routine…
Now,��the WordPress fireworks are for this year:
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 6,100 times in 2014. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 5 trips to carry that many people.
So for the new year I planned some new stories for B.G. Hope, something for Barbara G.Tarn (mostly shorts, though, since I’m still mulling about the three characters I came up with this year – i.e. I still don’t know what their story is, but if I find out, I’ll have a new novel out. Hopefully. My preferred length is obviously short novel or long short story, sigh).
I also want to write some shorts to submit to traditional markets – and that’s probably going to be rewrites, but one, for example, has a brand new sequel. I need to finish S.K.Y.B.A.N.D. – those last 22 pages of graphic novel – so I can do an omnibus with the whole story on CreateSpace.
And I need to schedule translation time both for Barbara Sangiorgio to turn into English (I have selected a collection of shorts, a novella and a novel to see how it goes) and for Barbara G.Tarn (Male Lovers of Silvery Earth vol.2 will come out in English first, but since the Italian version is my bestseller, I’ll have to translate it, along with Star Minds Next Generation).
And I’m planning some clean-up for the other two pen names – new covers mostly. I hope to set up Unicorn Productions webpage and put everything on there. But I’ve been saying I want to start a web page for all my writing since 2000, so… I’m not swearing I’ll do it this year! :D
See what I’m saying? This is included in 15 years of creative barbwire, by the way. So, have a great New�� Year’s Eve and see you in 2015! :D
December 28, 2014
Sunday Surprise
And it’s another Strange Portals author! Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the last guest of the year, Terry Compton!
Where do you live and write from?
I live in Columbia Falls, Montana. I have an office at the back of my shop that is my man cave. It’s my writing place.
Why do you write?
I’ve had the start of stories bouncing around in my head for quite some time. A friend of mine bought a sail boat and took it across the Gulf of Mexico about five years ago. He started sending regular updates of their journey. It triggered an idea that I could take my story ideas and do the same thing. The result was my first novel. So far I’ve finished sixteen more plus some short stories. Someday when I get better at the story telling, I hope to do this for a living.
When did you start writing?
My first novel was started in May of 2009.
What genre(s) do you write?
Mostly what pops in my head. My biggest seller is sci-fi. I’ve done sci-fi, westerns, fantasy, romance, and thrillers. I have an idea for a mystery as soon as it jells a little more.
What does your writing routine consist of?
I try to write every day unless my business interrupts. (I run my own business of making ornamental iron gates and things. I also install and maintain gate operators.) After I check my emails and daily blog readings, I try to stay with the writing each morning. If the story is flowing, I’ll keep writing in the afternoon. If not, I’ll do something else until in the evening, then start again. My goal is to get at least two thousand words a day but like any goal, it doesn’t always happen. Sometime in the afternoon or evening, I’ll go back through what my editors have finished and make changes to my manuscript.
What do you feel are your strengths as a writer? How have you developed these qualities?
I have lots of stories and as long as I stick with it, I can get them down. The local writers group, Authors of the Flathead has helped me tremendously. One of the members used to write screen plays for McGiver, Airwolf and several of the TV shows. He gives a lecture once a month about writing. His ideas have pushed my writing to a higher level. The group also has an open reading once a month. The former president of the group and the present one are great for pointing out ways to make your writing more effective.
Where do you find your inspiration? Do you put yourself in your stories?
My stories come from things I see or hear. One of my short stories came from a newspaper article about a big fish someone had caught. It turned into my leprechaun short story “It was this Big”. Events from the news make great novel ideas. I guess I see myself as the hero of some of the novels. Mostly I put my grandkids and friends or their composites in the stories. Using their gestures and sayings for a character makes that character come alive. It’s fun to see their faces when they see their name in my stories.
Outliner or improviser? Fast or slow writer?
Definitely improviser. I just need a start to the story and a hazy idea of the end. The characters drive the rest. The local writers group thinks I’m very fast but I don’t know. I try to average about two thousand words a day. I see other writers talking about doing ten thousand a day. If I’m really tired, the words just won’t come. I think the best I ever did was about eight thousand words in a day. I’ve made over fifty thousand words in a month twice for Nanawritmo.
Tell us about your latest book
My latest work is a new series Wanted. It’s about a bounty hunter and his android partner that have been blown five hundred years into the past during a battle with space pirates. They find a crazy alien who has an imaginary partner. They are trying to find a way back to their own time but run into other troubles in the time line they are in. So far I have Wanted available at Kindle and Smashwords as wells as Wanted The Hunters available at Kindle and Smashwords. Wanted The Trap is almost finished. It should come out in February after all the editing. Wanted is currently free for a limited time.
Indie publishing or traditional publishing – and why?
Indie publishing. I have seventeen novels in print and ebooks now. If I had to go the traditional way, I most likely would still be getting rejection slips. I’m too old to wait for a contract and the contracts don’t seem to be that friendly anymore. My readers seem to enjoy what I’m writing so I’ll let them decide if my writing is any good.
Any other projects in the pipeline?
I’ve got about eight more novels in mind. I just need to get them down in the computer. Short stories pop up at odd times and they have to fit in and compete for the new novel ideas coming along.
What is your goal as a writer and what are you doing to achieve it?
I’d like to hit the Amazon number one best seller with my novels. I’ve had a couple go to number one in the UK, Germany and France but not the US ��� yet. I keep going to Authors of the Flathead and other venues to improve my writing and I keep writing.
What is the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever been given?
Dennis Foley, the screen play writer, had a picture of a dog sitting in a writing chair at the computer. The caption said, “Sit. Stay.” The other is to keep improving on your writing. I don’t think I’ll ever be a Hemmingway but maybe I can be a pulp fiction writer.
Where to find Terry:
December 25, 2014
Random Friday
I know, I should have done this before Christmas… but well, at least you know what to ask for your birthday next year! :D
And it’s the reading year! Again I read almost 50 books, including three anthologies (two of which I was a participating author and they’re still out there for free: Wyrd Worlds 2 and Strange Portals – go grab them if you haven’t yet).
The five stars go to (I’m giving the Goodreads links, so you can go looking for them on your preferred retailer):
Prince Charming Wanted; Dowry Seekers Kiss Off! Vidya Samson
Bras, Boys, and Blunders: Juliet & Romeo in Bahrain Vidya Samson
The ultimate inferior beings�� Mark Roman
Out of tune Michelle D.Argyle
The Italian school of assassins Melissa Yin
Body Check Dave Hendrickson
Jinx and the Faery Dragons and other stories by Victoria Zigler (her Smashwords page)
Paris is a bitch (I wanted to try John Rain, and started with this short story – still have to get to the novels) Barry Eisler
The Tower Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Killer Advice Kris Rusch a.k.a Kris De Lake
The only non-fiction book is Ciao, America!: An Italian discovers the US (I read the Italian version, a loan by my father, so it’s a paper book). I love Severgnini (his Italian and English lessons are hilarious) and this one manages to tease two countries in one book – but in a nice way! Although both countries have changed since 1994-2000… There’s also the version more faithful to the original Italian title:�� “An Italian in America” – that’s the first official translation from his Italian publisher.
And on my next year wishlist I have this erotic romance cause I’m curious! Unfortunately my TBR list is still quite high, so I don’t know when I’ll be able to fit it in… Happy reading! :)
December 23, 2014
Writer Wednesday
With Star Minds Next Generation off to beta-readers, I’m here to summarize the writing year. I have published 900.000 words, but half of them were probably translations, so I’m not really at pulp speed one yet. I shall be working on that next year. I’m slowly moving to skip the longhand draft 0, and next year I’ll try to keep track of how many words I write per day. And schedule in translation time as well.
I have published 25 titles in two languages and I’ve earned almost the quadruple of last year (still 3digits figure, so I’m not going to be able to quit DayJob anytime soon), mostly thanks to Amazon Italia. As for unit sales, Amazon is in the lead with 182 sales, followed by the others (Kobo, Apple, Barnes&Noble) with 62 and Smashwords with 22 (data up to November 30). The bestseller is Smeraldo&Kyrio (the Italian version of The Death of Queen Amazonia) that sold 25 copies in a month, then got a couple of not so nice reviews and sales stopped.
While I wait for Kris Rusch’s musings on indie publishing, check out her musings on traditional publishing. Glad she’s resumed her business posts! :) What I learned is that there is an Italian market, so even if I’ll keep writing in English first (especially SFF) I will try to translate most of it (although with Silvery Earth it’s almost impossible – too many titles, LOL!).
I have added a “where to start reading” to the Silvery Earth page in case you didn’t see it. But if you contact me with a question, I’ll reply right away like I did with the kind person who found my books on Smashwords but was a little confused as to where to start from.
And since Guisarme is included in the free anthology Wyrd Worlds 2, it’s available for free also on Kobo, Smashwords, NoiseTrade and DeviantART. I submitted the free title to Kobo, but they’re closed for the holidays. Anyway, their newsletter says to send them the data, so I did. They’ll get to those forms eventually… I also sent them answers to their Q&A – we’ll see if any of it will go through…
I know, I need to make a priority list for next year’s projects, or I won’t have anything done, LOL! Next Wednesday will be new year’s resolutions. I will leave you with Mark Coker’s musings on Kindle Unlimited – exclusivity is bad, don’t put all your eggs in one basket, not even Mighty Zon’s! :)
Oh, and we have an epic win. Italy has agreed on 4% tax on ebooks from 2015. So don’t worry too much for your prices on Amazon Italia or other Italian venues – of course you’d probably need to have the Italian version available first, since most Italian’s don’t speak English! :)
I wish you all a Merry Christmas and enjoy the time off even if you’re not Christian! :) (Thanks to Ambili Abraham for pointing me to this video)
And since I’m at it, I’ll repost this one (already posted in 2012) because I like it even better! :)
