Jaka Tomc's Blog, page 3
May 28, 2022
My best reads of 2022 so far...
It’s the end of May and I’ve read 8 books in 2022 (number 9 is just around the corner). The number is not as high as I would want it to be, but I’m pretty much on track of reading 20 books by the end of the year. So without further ado, let’s see which ones are my favorite.
Read more on my website.
Read more on my website.
April 21, 2020
Prva recenzija "Androidov"!
Neja bere je spisala fantastično recenzijo moje nove knjige, Androidi čutijo v barvah, ki izide 4. maja.
Preberi in preveri, če ti roman ustreza.
Preberi in preveri, če ti roman ustreza.
June 20, 2019
You Only Die Once
You can get my short story You Only Die Once: A Short Story for free until Friday.
If you have 15 minutes of spare time, give it a chance.
You are the best!
Jaka
If you have 15 minutes of spare time, give it a chance.
You are the best!
Jaka
April 14, 2019
Being indie author is hard work (but it feels good)
People ask me what it’s like to have a book on Amazon. “Hard work,” I reply. It feels good, and I’m not hiding it, but behind the prospect of selling millions of books, there’s a lot going on. Especially if you’re an indie author, like me.
Visibility
The most important thing, for an aspiring author, is visibility. I went through the painful process in my home country, Slovenia, and now I’m in the same position again. With one important difference. Instead of two million people, I have to present myself to seven billion. No pressure. Of course everyone on the planet will never know me, even every Slovenian doesn’t know me, but you know what I mean.
So what does one do to achieve a fair amount of visibility? First of all, it takes time. I mean, you can always buy fans of your Facebook page, Twitter or Instagram followers, but is it worth it? It looks nice to have 100k followers, but it only functions if they’re organic. Meaning that people followed you because they’re genuinely interested in you. And here’s where time comes into the picture. It’s virtually impossible for an indie author to get a thousand followers over night. Except in case of an extraordinary event, like Sarah Jessica Parker sharing your book.
READ MORE
Visibility
The most important thing, for an aspiring author, is visibility. I went through the painful process in my home country, Slovenia, and now I’m in the same position again. With one important difference. Instead of two million people, I have to present myself to seven billion. No pressure. Of course everyone on the planet will never know me, even every Slovenian doesn’t know me, but you know what I mean.
So what does one do to achieve a fair amount of visibility? First of all, it takes time. I mean, you can always buy fans of your Facebook page, Twitter or Instagram followers, but is it worth it? It looks nice to have 100k followers, but it only functions if they’re organic. Meaning that people followed you because they’re genuinely interested in you. And here’s where time comes into the picture. It’s virtually impossible for an indie author to get a thousand followers over night. Except in case of an extraordinary event, like Sarah Jessica Parker sharing your book.
READ MORE
February 19, 2019
720 Heartbeats for 0.99
My book 720 Heartbeats is on sale. For the next few days you can get it on Amazon for only $0.99.
Give it a try and let me know if you liked it. Thanks!
January 7, 2019
Mood swings? So fucking what.
I have up and down moments when it comes to writing, producing, and selling books. Usually these three parts of bringing a book to life are connected. Sure, you can write a book and don’t sell it. Or sell a book that isn’t yours. Or just print books and don’t give a damn about writing or selling. I do it all. Ain’t I the lucky one.
There are days that I feel very proud of myself. I sold thousands of books. When I get a feedback, there’s a 95-percent chance that it’s gonna be positive. I mostly like what I write. I’m thrilled to be a writer and a publisher. I believe in myself and in the things I do.
Then come the ‘dark days’. Sometimes I don’t sell a single copy for two weeks. Maybe more. Or I don’t feel like writing. Or everything I write seems like a total waste of brain cells. Maybe I get a one-star review on Goodreads. Maybe nobody gave my a virtual heart on my brilliant post on Twitter. Or there are not enough likes on Facebook. I just feel abandoned, even if I’m surrounded by people who love me.
I know what you’re thinking. So fucking what. Everyone has mood swings. You’re right. But they fuck up my creative process. They mess with my ability to promote my books. They are the reason why I don’t sell as much as I’d like to. I know what you’re thinking now. Maybe I’m a shitty writer or a bad salesman. First of all, I can write. Second … OK, maybe I’m not a very good salesman. But I strongly believe in the power of quality writing. It will take me places, I just need to pull my shit together and do something about these damn ups and downs.
As usual, I have no idea what’s the point of this post. I hope you found something useful in it. I just needed to write down a few lines and throw them into the infinite space of internet. It’s therapeutic. Thank you for your patience. I’ll do better next time.
There are days that I feel very proud of myself. I sold thousands of books. When I get a feedback, there’s a 95-percent chance that it’s gonna be positive. I mostly like what I write. I’m thrilled to be a writer and a publisher. I believe in myself and in the things I do.
Then come the ‘dark days’. Sometimes I don’t sell a single copy for two weeks. Maybe more. Or I don’t feel like writing. Or everything I write seems like a total waste of brain cells. Maybe I get a one-star review on Goodreads. Maybe nobody gave my a virtual heart on my brilliant post on Twitter. Or there are not enough likes on Facebook. I just feel abandoned, even if I’m surrounded by people who love me.
I know what you’re thinking. So fucking what. Everyone has mood swings. You’re right. But they fuck up my creative process. They mess with my ability to promote my books. They are the reason why I don’t sell as much as I’d like to. I know what you’re thinking now. Maybe I’m a shitty writer or a bad salesman. First of all, I can write. Second … OK, maybe I’m not a very good salesman. But I strongly believe in the power of quality writing. It will take me places, I just need to pull my shit together and do something about these damn ups and downs.
As usual, I have no idea what’s the point of this post. I hope you found something useful in it. I just needed to write down a few lines and throw them into the infinite space of internet. It’s therapeutic. Thank you for your patience. I’ll do better next time.
October 5, 2018
Imagination is limitless. So why not be original?
People are surprised when I tell them I make up the story as I write. Usually, when I finish a chapter, I have no idea what will happen in the next one. Well, truth be told, sometimes I don’t even know what will happen in the next sentence.
There are two types of writers:
- Systematic writers. They have a lot of notes, well-built characters, a synopsis of the story. They create the imaginary world before they dive into it.
- Spontaneous writers. No notes, no synopsis, no idea how their characters will develop. Their worlds are created word by word.
Actually a lot of writers are somewhere in between. One type is not better than the other. They both have their strengths.
I didn’t choose to be a spontaneous writer, it came on its own. I start a new book with the first sentence and then I let the snowball roll down the hill, collecting ideas as it goes. Sometimes I wonder how it’s possible that the snowball still has a round shape, but somehow I make it happen. It has to be some kind of magic.
Now I’m not saying I’m a magician. I know I’m a good writer but I still have room to improve. Everybody does. It doesn’t matter whether you’re systematic or spontaneous or a yet undiscovered type. What matters the most is finding your writing voice. It’s OK to have writers you look up to. I understand the desire to write like them. But finding your own voice is the key to a successful story.
When I start writing a book, I don’t say: “Oh, I want to make Misery meets I, Robot.” Or: “OK, let’s do a crime novel that resembles Lord of the Rings.” I understand that many millions of books were written. It’s hard to find an original story. But it’s possible. I yearn for originality in books, reading or writing them. You should too. Imagination is limitless. Let it run free.
There are two types of writers:
- Systematic writers. They have a lot of notes, well-built characters, a synopsis of the story. They create the imaginary world before they dive into it.
- Spontaneous writers. No notes, no synopsis, no idea how their characters will develop. Their worlds are created word by word.
Actually a lot of writers are somewhere in between. One type is not better than the other. They both have their strengths.
I didn’t choose to be a spontaneous writer, it came on its own. I start a new book with the first sentence and then I let the snowball roll down the hill, collecting ideas as it goes. Sometimes I wonder how it’s possible that the snowball still has a round shape, but somehow I make it happen. It has to be some kind of magic.
Now I’m not saying I’m a magician. I know I’m a good writer but I still have room to improve. Everybody does. It doesn’t matter whether you’re systematic or spontaneous or a yet undiscovered type. What matters the most is finding your writing voice. It’s OK to have writers you look up to. I understand the desire to write like them. But finding your own voice is the key to a successful story.
When I start writing a book, I don’t say: “Oh, I want to make Misery meets I, Robot.” Or: “OK, let’s do a crime novel that resembles Lord of the Rings.” I understand that many millions of books were written. It’s hard to find an original story. But it’s possible. I yearn for originality in books, reading or writing them. You should too. Imagination is limitless. Let it run free.
April 5, 2018
720 Heartbeats - Teaser 1
My girlfriend surprised me today with a teaser for my coming book 720 Heartbeats. Would you read it? I know I would. :)
February 2, 2018
My top 5 science fiction books
I’m a huge fan of science fiction. I read all kinds of books, but SF is my no.1 genre. In the near future I will probably write my own SF novel and I’ve already included some elements (parallel universes) in my book 720 Heartbeats that will be out on March 21, 2018 on Amazon.
But this post isn’t about me. It’s about my favorite science fiction books. Here they are …
1. Childhood’s End – Arthur C. Clarke
I read this book 10 years ago (or maybe it was 15?) and it’s still on the top of my list. It’s visionary and the ending blew me away (as it should in every good book). And yes, it has aliens 🙂
2. Sleeping Giants (Themis Files series) – Sylvain Neuvel
I knew nothing about this book when I bought it in a bookstore in Ljubljana, Slovenia. And boy did it take me on a wild ride! I just couldn’t put it down. The storyline is unique (it runs through interviews). I can’t wait for the last (Only Human) book in the series!
3. I, Robot – Isaac Asimov
If you have only seen the movie, you’re missing a lot. This is another book I’ve read 10 or more years ago and recently I bought another copy of it (I lent the former and it didn’t come back). Another visionary book of a very possible future as robotics is making big steps towards autonomous robots.
4. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep – Philip K. Dick
Again, don’t think that if you’ve seen Blade Runner that you don’t have to read this book. It’s a must read for all sci-fi fans! It goes so much deeper than the movie(s).
5. Ready Player One – Ernest Cline
An epic tale of a quest to find a treasure in the virtual world. It took me back to my childhood. And I wasn’t even a gamer. Absolutely deserves to have a movie (and a legendary director).
But this post isn’t about me. It’s about my favorite science fiction books. Here they are …
1. Childhood’s End – Arthur C. Clarke
I read this book 10 years ago (or maybe it was 15?) and it’s still on the top of my list. It’s visionary and the ending blew me away (as it should in every good book). And yes, it has aliens 🙂
2. Sleeping Giants (Themis Files series) – Sylvain Neuvel
I knew nothing about this book when I bought it in a bookstore in Ljubljana, Slovenia. And boy did it take me on a wild ride! I just couldn’t put it down. The storyline is unique (it runs through interviews). I can’t wait for the last (Only Human) book in the series!
3. I, Robot – Isaac Asimov
If you have only seen the movie, you’re missing a lot. This is another book I’ve read 10 or more years ago and recently I bought another copy of it (I lent the former and it didn’t come back). Another visionary book of a very possible future as robotics is making big steps towards autonomous robots.
4. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep – Philip K. Dick
Again, don’t think that if you’ve seen Blade Runner that you don’t have to read this book. It’s a must read for all sci-fi fans! It goes so much deeper than the movie(s).
5. Ready Player One – Ernest Cline
An epic tale of a quest to find a treasure in the virtual world. It took me back to my childhood. And I wasn’t even a gamer. Absolutely deserves to have a movie (and a legendary director).
January 8, 2018
Prvič med top 600!
S 464 izposojami v letu 2017 sem se prebil med 600 najbolj izposojanih avtorjev. To na prvi pogled ne izgleda velik podvig, a če upoštevamo dejstvo, da je imelo vsaj eno izposojo več kot 17.000 ljudi, me to postavi med top 3,5% slovenskih avtorjev. Pa še tale podatek - lani sem bil na 1460. mestu, leto prej pa na 2506. Naj se trend nadaljuje tudi v letu 2018!
