Laura A. Ellison's Blog, page 6
April 27, 2012
A Pure Blood at Twitter
I am downloading, Tweet by Tweet, my Fu Sheng short story, A Pure Blood. The 900 year old Chinese vampire witnesses the death of a young drama student, and discovers corruption and racism in the New Galaxy. http://twitter.com/#!/EllisonLaura :)
April 17, 2012
Blood In Trust At Nook
Blood In Trust is now at Barnes and Noble.com as a Nook book. $5.15 http://bit.ly/II5inh :)
It's A Free World-Part 2
I also learned a valuable lesson over at Amazon.com. An author can have their book published through Amazon, but the writer in no way can promote their work at the Amazon site except at designated forums, such as Meet Our Authors. If the writer tries to promote at any other Amazon threads, even if the thread is started by a reader looking for a book like the author has published, the writer receives a short e-mail from Amazon informing them that their posting privileges will be revoked if they continue to post where their promoting is not wanted. Oops. Indie authors are kept in a pen over there. Now that Blood In Trust is a Kindle book, I've behaved myself and posted only at author threads at Amazon. Sometimes reporting and blocking is necessary. On my Twitter page, I've blocked various followers whose websites are pornographic. I don't want that stuff on my feed, but I feel a bit insulted when I'm treated the same way as some girl at wildsexparty.net.
I'm sure there are many talented indie writers who have experienced the same things. I've paid for advertising for my free books at Facebook and Goodreads. I did it to get readers interested, not for profit. If an author has written a good book that happens to be free, exposure is easy. Charge a fee, even 99 cents, and generating interest is more difficult. An author at Amazon mentioned that she would never offer her work for free because she felt the quality of her work was worth the charge. She obviously takes pride in her work, but there are some wonderful manuscripts moldering in drawers all over the world, sent out to the occasional agent or publisher. Breaking through is such a bitch, that a truly gifted writer could spend their whole lives just sending out queries. Hence, the ever-growing power of electronic publishing.
I chose to publish independently not because I was ready to give up or couldn't handle the rejection, but because I had matured enough to understand that talent is a subjective thing, and the publishing business, like any other big business, is fickle. Independent publishing allows the square peg to have a place besides pushing itself through the round hole. The author can write about whatever he/she wants, and they can feel like they are good enough. Self-doubt is hardly conducive to the creative process, and wherever people are expressing themselves in a peaceful manner, they should be treated gently. :)
I'm sure there are many talented indie writers who have experienced the same things. I've paid for advertising for my free books at Facebook and Goodreads. I did it to get readers interested, not for profit. If an author has written a good book that happens to be free, exposure is easy. Charge a fee, even 99 cents, and generating interest is more difficult. An author at Amazon mentioned that she would never offer her work for free because she felt the quality of her work was worth the charge. She obviously takes pride in her work, but there are some wonderful manuscripts moldering in drawers all over the world, sent out to the occasional agent or publisher. Breaking through is such a bitch, that a truly gifted writer could spend their whole lives just sending out queries. Hence, the ever-growing power of electronic publishing.
I chose to publish independently not because I was ready to give up or couldn't handle the rejection, but because I had matured enough to understand that talent is a subjective thing, and the publishing business, like any other big business, is fickle. Independent publishing allows the square peg to have a place besides pushing itself through the round hole. The author can write about whatever he/she wants, and they can feel like they are good enough. Self-doubt is hardly conducive to the creative process, and wherever people are expressing themselves in a peaceful manner, they should be treated gently. :)
It's A Free World-Part 1
I do not plan on becoming wealthy from my writing, most likely never. Nowadays, the appeal of electronic publishing is too strong for many authors, but these people often find themselves lost at sea, swimming with all the millions of other fish.
I was concerned, upon publication of Blood In Trust, that the previous work I offered for free, such as The Last Girl, would be preferable to readers because there was no charge. Over the last week, I've noticed that my free work has soared in downloads as compared to Blood In Trust. The book has only been available since April first, and is hardly expensive at $4.99, but anyone with some extra time can download a free book in minutes. However, if a book interests me enough, I'd pay a reasonable price for it. To be honest, I still go to my local library. I don't own a Kindle or Nook, although I'll most likely own one in the near future. When I go to Facebook or Twitter, I'm making an attempt to reach millions of people, and I've seen the power of social networking with my first published novel, Karma House. I was surprised at how kind and supportive people could be and I pushed past my own morbid shyness to connect with potential readers. Of course, for every nice person you meet, there's that one troll who accuses an indie author of spamming. I suppose there are people who get irritated over unwanted messages, but just ignore or delete, don't report the sender, considering that the reporter could be accused of the same thing by someone else. We all move in circles, like Google +. No one owns social networking, even Mark Zuckerberg, but I think it's interesting that you can report someone for 'spamming' but not for being a sarcastic bitch. If that was the case, Twitter would see a drop in membership because it doesn't take talent to be an asshole in 140 characters or less.
I was concerned, upon publication of Blood In Trust, that the previous work I offered for free, such as The Last Girl, would be preferable to readers because there was no charge. Over the last week, I've noticed that my free work has soared in downloads as compared to Blood In Trust. The book has only been available since April first, and is hardly expensive at $4.99, but anyone with some extra time can download a free book in minutes. However, if a book interests me enough, I'd pay a reasonable price for it. To be honest, I still go to my local library. I don't own a Kindle or Nook, although I'll most likely own one in the near future. When I go to Facebook or Twitter, I'm making an attempt to reach millions of people, and I've seen the power of social networking with my first published novel, Karma House. I was surprised at how kind and supportive people could be and I pushed past my own morbid shyness to connect with potential readers. Of course, for every nice person you meet, there's that one troll who accuses an indie author of spamming. I suppose there are people who get irritated over unwanted messages, but just ignore or delete, don't report the sender, considering that the reporter could be accused of the same thing by someone else. We all move in circles, like Google +. No one owns social networking, even Mark Zuckerberg, but I think it's interesting that you can report someone for 'spamming' but not for being a sarcastic bitch. If that was the case, Twitter would see a drop in membership because it doesn't take talent to be an asshole in 140 characters or less.
April 3, 2012
Blood In Trust
Blood In Trust is now available at Amazon.com as an ebook. Thanks to everyone at Whiskey Creek Press:) http://amzn.to/HTdUHJ Also coming to Barnes and Noble.com in a few weeks.
March 19, 2012
Scaring Myself
One of the most silly questions horror fiction writers get is,"Do you scare yourself?" It's a silly question because only a silly answer can fill in the awkward silence while the writer squirms. I'm sure Stephen King must get tired of people questioning his sanity. The man is perfectly sane, but I wondered, especially when I was writing Karma House, if what I was writing was truly scary. I am insecure enough without strangers questioning my mental health.
I had to rely on what scares me, and my worst fear is loss or abandonment. This does not make me unique; abandonment fears go back to childhood, when we only had our parents to take care of us. When I was a little girl, I was afraid of the dark. Worse? The feeling that no one would care that I was afraid.
Fear has its uses, going back to our primitive ancestors. Now, in our civilized age, we get a thrill from horror movies and books. I've always liked the scary stuff, and I'm drawn to it as a writer because the dark side is a handy place to explore all the mysteries; sex, death, life, grief, anger, and even love. Fear can lead to some of the most important, dramatic decisions we make in our lives. We're not in perfect control, life is unpredictable, but Freddy Krueger can only get you if you fall asleep. Jason can only get you if you go to Camp Crystal Lake. And we all know that Chucky is just a doll and Michael Myers only comes around at Halloween. I grew up on these movies, and horror was 'safe' because it never felt real, in spite of all of the attempts at censorship and the oppression of the MPAA. I didn't grow up to be a bad person because I liked scary movies. The writer, artist, or filmmaker is like a dark magician; juggling the mysteries, their characters wearing different masks, making one character disappear while another levitates or blows fire out of his mouth. The artist doesn't scare himself because he is in control of his dark little world, no matter what happens. Nothing gets away from the writer; even in the most feverish moments of inspiration, the writer owns every word. Genre fiction can still be a place of self-expression, not just poetry or literary fiction. Why would the writer want to bother with any story if they couldn't bring something of themselves into it? The writer would quickly grow bored with anything less, I would think. A writer doesn't scare herself; she only fears writer's block or the horrors of rejection or a bad review. Horror fiction writers are very resourceful; they have to pull the terror out of everyday life, not just through monsters like vampires or serial killers. Ghost stories are rich in psychology. Symbolism is everywhere; however, the intent is simple, because the writer wants to thrill her reader, and readers get their thrills from fear of the unknown. We live in uncertain times, but change is inevitable, and we're bound to bump into something or someone we don't understand. Uncertainty existed in the Dark Ages, the Black Plague, and during all of the wars in recorded history. When the Vikings got on their wooden ships, their destination wasn't exactly mapped out. No GPS. They could run into a bad storm or an enemy. But no guts, no glory; so they went off on their jouneys to rape and pillage.
I know I should feel flattered when anyone asks me how I get my ideas or if I scare myself. I'm not overly sensitive about having dealt with depression or taking medication, because I know I am not alone. I take in various events and people like anyone else, but I have to admit that I'm very likely looking and listening when someone might not be aware, while I'm collecting grist for the mill. I work at a K-Mart store; and the things I've seen and heard could easily inspire horror fiction. Working in customer service for minimum wage? Now that's scary.
I had to rely on what scares me, and my worst fear is loss or abandonment. This does not make me unique; abandonment fears go back to childhood, when we only had our parents to take care of us. When I was a little girl, I was afraid of the dark. Worse? The feeling that no one would care that I was afraid.
Fear has its uses, going back to our primitive ancestors. Now, in our civilized age, we get a thrill from horror movies and books. I've always liked the scary stuff, and I'm drawn to it as a writer because the dark side is a handy place to explore all the mysteries; sex, death, life, grief, anger, and even love. Fear can lead to some of the most important, dramatic decisions we make in our lives. We're not in perfect control, life is unpredictable, but Freddy Krueger can only get you if you fall asleep. Jason can only get you if you go to Camp Crystal Lake. And we all know that Chucky is just a doll and Michael Myers only comes around at Halloween. I grew up on these movies, and horror was 'safe' because it never felt real, in spite of all of the attempts at censorship and the oppression of the MPAA. I didn't grow up to be a bad person because I liked scary movies. The writer, artist, or filmmaker is like a dark magician; juggling the mysteries, their characters wearing different masks, making one character disappear while another levitates or blows fire out of his mouth. The artist doesn't scare himself because he is in control of his dark little world, no matter what happens. Nothing gets away from the writer; even in the most feverish moments of inspiration, the writer owns every word. Genre fiction can still be a place of self-expression, not just poetry or literary fiction. Why would the writer want to bother with any story if they couldn't bring something of themselves into it? The writer would quickly grow bored with anything less, I would think. A writer doesn't scare herself; she only fears writer's block or the horrors of rejection or a bad review. Horror fiction writers are very resourceful; they have to pull the terror out of everyday life, not just through monsters like vampires or serial killers. Ghost stories are rich in psychology. Symbolism is everywhere; however, the intent is simple, because the writer wants to thrill her reader, and readers get their thrills from fear of the unknown. We live in uncertain times, but change is inevitable, and we're bound to bump into something or someone we don't understand. Uncertainty existed in the Dark Ages, the Black Plague, and during all of the wars in recorded history. When the Vikings got on their wooden ships, their destination wasn't exactly mapped out. No GPS. They could run into a bad storm or an enemy. But no guts, no glory; so they went off on their jouneys to rape and pillage.
I know I should feel flattered when anyone asks me how I get my ideas or if I scare myself. I'm not overly sensitive about having dealt with depression or taking medication, because I know I am not alone. I take in various events and people like anyone else, but I have to admit that I'm very likely looking and listening when someone might not be aware, while I'm collecting grist for the mill. I work at a K-Mart store; and the things I've seen and heard could easily inspire horror fiction. Working in customer service for minimum wage? Now that's scary.
