Michael McClung's Blog, page 20
August 24, 2011
434
So I (finally) received my royalty summary statement for Thagoth. Latest royalty check? US$82.78.
That's not the interesting part.
The interesting part is the title of this post. 434 copies of Thagoth have been sold from day 1 through March, 2011.
434.
Now, there are two ways I could look at this number. In fact, there are two ways I DO look at this number.
The first way, the pessimistic way
That's not the interesting part.
The interesting part is the title of this post. 434 copies of Thagoth have been sold from day 1 through March, 2011.
434.
Now, there are two ways I could look at this number. In fact, there are two ways I DO look at this number.
The first way, the pessimistic way
August 21, 2011
Next in the Double Dose series:
This one I hope to have up by next week.
The idea of course is for all of them to be instantly recognizable as a 'series' but differentiated by color scheme. Also, bright colors to catch the reader's eye.
I'm going for a movie poster/old 60's and 70's paperback feel with these covers. It may not be the best choice, but it feels right, and I'm happy with them. :)
The idea of course is for all of them to be instantly recognizable as a 'series' but differentiated by color scheme. Also, bright colors to catch the reader's eye.
I'm going for a movie poster/old 60's and 70's paperback feel with these covers. It may not be the best choice, but it feels right, and I'm happy with them. :)
August 20, 2011
Silly submissions guidelines/What were they thinking?
So I was checking out Ralan's, as I often do (being a writer and all), and noticed a particularly brain-scratching, uh, thing--in the submissions guidelines for an anthology titled "Best NEW Zombie Tales Vol. 5" the editor is ONLY looking for reprinted zombie stories.
Which sort of makes all the stories in the anthology, by definition, not new.
*smacks head, moves on*
Which sort of makes all the stories in the anthology, by definition, not new.
*smacks head, moves on*
August 17, 2011
State of Thagoth
Well. After shamelessly begging friends on facebook and brazenly posting a review of My Own Damn Novel™, I also did a couple other things: I gifted the book to two sci fi & fantasy reviewers whose blogs I follow and whose opinions I respect, and I (finally) set up my author page on Amazon's Author Central.
(Niall Alexander, by the way, is a pure gentleman. If you're at all interested in sci fi/
(Niall Alexander, by the way, is a pure gentleman. If you're at all interested in sci fi/
I did it
I confess. I did it.
Lord knows I had the means, the motive and the opportunity. The only real surprise here is that it took me so long to give in to the urge. Was it cowardice that kept me from committing the deed? No, not that at least. Was it some tattered vestige of morals? Of pride? Maybe. I can't really say. And the act itself is a blur, now that it's done.
I reviewed my own damn book on
Lord knows I had the means, the motive and the opportunity. The only real surprise here is that it took me so long to give in to the urge. Was it cowardice that kept me from committing the deed? No, not that at least. Was it some tattered vestige of morals? Of pride? Maybe. I can't really say. And the act itself is a blur, now that it's done.
I reviewed my own damn book on
August 13, 2011
unfinished business
It has been very heartening to have a couple of stories selected for inclusion in anthologies this year. 'Children of the Mandrake' was the first publishable piece of fiction I ever wrote, way back when I first moved to Austin those many years ago. Bruce Sterling took a look at it and pronounced it 'salable'. More than a decade later, he was proven right: It will appear in The Big Book of New
