Michael K. Rose's Blog, page 8
July 8, 2013
Douglas Lain's "Think the Impossible" Tour
Today, I have a message from author
Douglas Lain
, author of the novel
Billy Moon
. Douglas currently has
a Kickstarter project
running and is seeking help reaching his goal. I'll now turn you over to him and let him tell you about his project.
***
I am aiming to hit the road with a novel and an idea. The story in my novel Billy Moon takes place in Paris during the student/worker strikes of May, 1968. In my book I place an adult Christopher Robin Milne behind the barricades and, among other things, work out just what went wrong when the youth attempted to create a new society by creating "poetry in the streets."
The cyberpunk author Rudy Rucker blurbed Billy Moon this way: “Doug Lain's Billy Moon is postmodern SF, powering past mere science and into a cubist world of strange. It's a mash-up of Phil Dick, Francoise Sagan, and Winnie the Pooh, with a jaded Christopher Robin at the heart of the 1968 Paris student revolution. Billy Moon is moving and profound, with a radically evanescent style. Just the thing for our new century.”
So that's the book I'm taking on the road. To communicate the idea in the book, an idea that could power me to write many other books, is a bit trickier. It's especially difficult because the one word I'd use to label my idea is this: "impossible." That is, I want to reconsider the impossible, and to point out that what is considered impossible is always necessary for the possible. You can't have something that is possible without something that is impossible tagging along.
Consider this:
In a recent episode of the American police procedural Castle, Detective Beckett traveled from New York to Washington, D.C. for a job interview at the Attorney General’s office. In a previous episode, she’d attracted the attention of a special investigator for the Attorney General by solving a particularly difficult murder. In the finale, this attention bears fruit as she is offered a chance to solve crimes on the national stage.
“If all you think you are is just a homicide detective then we can cut this short now,” the man in the expensive suit tells her.
This plot premise was impossible. Why? Because it was inconceivable that Beckett was going to take the job. To do so would end the program that made her pursuit of the job possible. And so, in this episode, one had to believe in something impossible in order for something possible to occur. That is, in order for Beckett to make the decision to stay, in order for an hour's worth of formula mystery to work itself out, we had to first believe in something impossible, namely that she might leave.
That's how the impossible usually works. One believes in the impossible without realizing the impossibility of what one believes, but there is another option. This is the option the students and workers aimed at in May of 1968. They aimed to seize the impossible. Their slogan was "Demand the Impossible." That is, if Beckett had been part of May 1968 she would've taken the job with the Attorney General.
Just how to do this, what the implications of seizing the impossible, or acting on the impossible, might be in practice, is what I’m taking on the road.
***
With the “Think the Impossible” Tour, Douglas Lain is aiming at promoting both his new novel and the idea of “the impossible” or of contradiction. Taking his philosophy podcast Diet Soap and his novel Billy Moon on the road, he’ll be interviewing Andrew Kliman from the Marxist Humanist Initiative, Margaret Kimberley from the Black Agenda Report, McKenzie Wark author of the Hacker Manifesto, Daniel Coffeen, sophist and pop philosopher, and a few others about what, for structural reasons, can’t usually be discussed in a capitalist society. Support his tour via Kickstarter .
***
I am aiming to hit the road with a novel and an idea. The story in my novel Billy Moon takes place in Paris during the student/worker strikes of May, 1968. In my book I place an adult Christopher Robin Milne behind the barricades and, among other things, work out just what went wrong when the youth attempted to create a new society by creating "poetry in the streets."The cyberpunk author Rudy Rucker blurbed Billy Moon this way: “Doug Lain's Billy Moon is postmodern SF, powering past mere science and into a cubist world of strange. It's a mash-up of Phil Dick, Francoise Sagan, and Winnie the Pooh, with a jaded Christopher Robin at the heart of the 1968 Paris student revolution. Billy Moon is moving and profound, with a radically evanescent style. Just the thing for our new century.”
So that's the book I'm taking on the road. To communicate the idea in the book, an idea that could power me to write many other books, is a bit trickier. It's especially difficult because the one word I'd use to label my idea is this: "impossible." That is, I want to reconsider the impossible, and to point out that what is considered impossible is always necessary for the possible. You can't have something that is possible without something that is impossible tagging along.
Consider this:
In a recent episode of the American police procedural Castle, Detective Beckett traveled from New York to Washington, D.C. for a job interview at the Attorney General’s office. In a previous episode, she’d attracted the attention of a special investigator for the Attorney General by solving a particularly difficult murder. In the finale, this attention bears fruit as she is offered a chance to solve crimes on the national stage.
“If all you think you are is just a homicide detective then we can cut this short now,” the man in the expensive suit tells her.
This plot premise was impossible. Why? Because it was inconceivable that Beckett was going to take the job. To do so would end the program that made her pursuit of the job possible. And so, in this episode, one had to believe in something impossible in order for something possible to occur. That is, in order for Beckett to make the decision to stay, in order for an hour's worth of formula mystery to work itself out, we had to first believe in something impossible, namely that she might leave.
That's how the impossible usually works. One believes in the impossible without realizing the impossibility of what one believes, but there is another option. This is the option the students and workers aimed at in May of 1968. They aimed to seize the impossible. Their slogan was "Demand the Impossible." That is, if Beckett had been part of May 1968 she would've taken the job with the Attorney General.
Just how to do this, what the implications of seizing the impossible, or acting on the impossible, might be in practice, is what I’m taking on the road.
***
With the “Think the Impossible” Tour, Douglas Lain is aiming at promoting both his new novel and the idea of “the impossible” or of contradiction. Taking his philosophy podcast Diet Soap and his novel Billy Moon on the road, he’ll be interviewing Andrew Kliman from the Marxist Humanist Initiative, Margaret Kimberley from the Black Agenda Report, McKenzie Wark author of the Hacker Manifesto, Daniel Coffeen, sophist and pop philosopher, and a few others about what, for structural reasons, can’t usually be discussed in a capitalist society. Support his tour via Kickstarter .
July 4, 2013
Help Make Sullivan's War: Book One Free!
Hello, all! I have decided to put
Sullivan's War: Book One - All Good Men Serve the Devil
free at Amazon. Unfortunately, Amazon does not allow one to do this. Instead, I have to make it free at another seller and hope Amazon will match the price.
If you'd like to help, you can report the lower price (free) to Amazon.
Here's how to do it:
1. Highlight and copy the following: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...
This is the book's entry at Smashwords, where it is free.
2. Visit the Amazon page for the book ( click here ). Scroll down until you see the Product Details. At the bottom of that section you will see "tell us about a lower price". Click on it. You will then be prompted to enter the details.
3. When the box pops up, select "Website (Online)" then paste the URL you copied from step 1, enter 0.00 under the price and shipping costs then press "Submit feedback."
Any help in getting this book free is greatly appreciated! Also, feel free to download the free epub version of the book from Smashwords if you've yet to read it, or share the link if you know anyone who might like it.
Wishing all of you the very best!Michael K. Rose
P.S.: If any of my fellow authors need help getting their books price matched, leave a comment below with the links and I'll submit the info to Amazon. Also, if you need an RT on Twitter, info on how to request one can be found here .
If you'd like to help, you can report the lower price (free) to Amazon.
Here's how to do it:
1. Highlight and copy the following: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...
This is the book's entry at Smashwords, where it is free.
2. Visit the Amazon page for the book ( click here ). Scroll down until you see the Product Details. At the bottom of that section you will see "tell us about a lower price". Click on it. You will then be prompted to enter the details.
3. When the box pops up, select "Website (Online)" then paste the URL you copied from step 1, enter 0.00 under the price and shipping costs then press "Submit feedback."
Any help in getting this book free is greatly appreciated! Also, feel free to download the free epub version of the book from Smashwords if you've yet to read it, or share the link if you know anyone who might like it.
Wishing all of you the very best!Michael K. Rose
P.S.: If any of my fellow authors need help getting their books price matched, leave a comment below with the links and I'll submit the info to Amazon. Also, if you need an RT on Twitter, info on how to request one can be found here .
June 27, 2013
Introducing SULLIVAN'S REALM
Hello, all. If you check out my eBooks on Amazon, you'll see that a couple of them have a new subtitle referring to Sullivan's Realm. What is this?The Sullivan Saga, comprising Sullivan's War, Sullivan's Wrath and the upcoming Sullivan's Watch, is not a series that exists in a vacuum. Early on I had established that Sergeant Riley's Account and Sleep also existed in this universe. In fact, Sergeant Riley's Account is something of a prologue to the Sullivan books, taking place on Rick Sullivan's home planet of Edaline.
I had long ago named this the Myriad Spheres Universe (hence the title of this blog) and had planned a series of novels and short stories that explored this universe. I would still like to do this, but I have decided to rename it Sullivan's Realm in recognition of the fact that The Sullivan Saga will likely be the entry point for many into this universe and will, for the foreseeable future, be the most involved story taking place in this universe.
Not all of the stories in Sullivan's Realm will be directly tied in with The Sullivan Saga beyond taking place in the same universe, but I am planning a few spin-off stories about secondary characters in the Sullivan books. Those that are unrelated will flesh out completely unexplored parts of this universe or else develop ideas, planets or events only briefly touched on in The Sullivan Saga.
I'd like to thank all of you who have read and enjoyed my stories set in Sullivan's Realm so far. If you haven't read any or have only read a few, below is a chronological reading order to get you started. New stories can take place before, during or after The Sullivan Saga, and whenever I release a new Sullivan's Realm story, I'll let you know where in the chronology it should be placed.
Wishing you all the best!Michael K. Rose
A Sullivan's Realm Chronology
Sleep - Available as a stand-alone eBook or in the collection Short Stories Sergeant Riley's Account - Available as a stand-alone eBook or in the collection Short Stories Sullivan's War: Book One - All Good Men Serve the Devil Sullivan's War: Book Two - A City Without Walls Sullivan's War: Book Three - Edaline's Dawn Sullivan's War: Omnibus Edition - Collects Books One, Two and Three Sullivan's Wrath Sullivan's Watch - Coming Soon!
June 18, 2013
101 Thoughts on Self-Publishing -- 008: Aspiring Writers: Stop Aspiring!
I am writing this post for all you "aspiring" or "wannabe" writers out there. I see the phrase "aspiring writer" used by a lot of people who follow me on Twitter, and I know where you're coming from. I've been writing on and off for well over a decade now, but it wasn't until I stopped saying things like, "I'd like to be a writer someday" or, "I'd like to write a book someday" that I finally did it. It took an active change in perspective to go from, "Oh, I have this idea" to, "I wrote this book." I embraced the fact that I was a writer. No matter what else I did to earn a living, I was, and I will always be, a writer. I had to claim the title before anything could happen. Now, less than two years later, I have three novels and a short story collection published and at least two more projects in the works for release later this year.
So if you call yourself an "aspiring writer," what do you mean by that? Do you mean you're an aspiring writer because you have a day job? Most non-bestsellers do. Do you mean you're aspiring because you haven't been published yet? So what! That doesn't mean all the work you've put into your writing doesn't count. So if you have the words "aspiring writer" or "wannabe writer" anywhere on your Twitter or Facebook profiles or on your blog, remove the offending adjective.
Being a writer does not mean you are successful. It does not mean you are published. It doesn't even mean you've ever finished a novel. Being a writer means that you have stories to tell, and you are telling them. It means that you can't help but tell those stories. It means that you will finish that novel. It means you will hold a copy of it in your hands and know that it exists because of you. Don't let the word "aspiring" trick you into thinking that being a writer is something you will do in the future, that it is something that has not yet come to pass. Do it now. Be it now. You are a writer, and until you decide otherwise, nothing and no one can take that away from you.
***
If you're enjoying the series so far and would like a single page to bookmark, I'll be adding each of my 101 Thoughts on Self-Publishing here . Also be sure to subscribe by email (see the box in the sidebar) to be automatically notified about my new posts.
Best,Michael K. Rose
Note: This article was previously posted here . I have updated and re-posted it so I could make it a part of my 101 Thoughts on Self-Publishing series.
So if you call yourself an "aspiring writer," what do you mean by that? Do you mean you're an aspiring writer because you have a day job? Most non-bestsellers do. Do you mean you're aspiring because you haven't been published yet? So what! That doesn't mean all the work you've put into your writing doesn't count. So if you have the words "aspiring writer" or "wannabe writer" anywhere on your Twitter or Facebook profiles or on your blog, remove the offending adjective.
Being a writer does not mean you are successful. It does not mean you are published. It doesn't even mean you've ever finished a novel. Being a writer means that you have stories to tell, and you are telling them. It means that you can't help but tell those stories. It means that you will finish that novel. It means you will hold a copy of it in your hands and know that it exists because of you. Don't let the word "aspiring" trick you into thinking that being a writer is something you will do in the future, that it is something that has not yet come to pass. Do it now. Be it now. You are a writer, and until you decide otherwise, nothing and no one can take that away from you.
***
If you're enjoying the series so far and would like a single page to bookmark, I'll be adding each of my 101 Thoughts on Self-Publishing here . Also be sure to subscribe by email (see the box in the sidebar) to be automatically notified about my new posts.
Best,Michael K. Rose
Note: This article was previously posted here . I have updated and re-posted it so I could make it a part of my 101 Thoughts on Self-Publishing series.
June 11, 2013
101 Thoughts on Self-Publishing -- 007: You Are Already a Success
This is for all the writers out there who've finished a book, maybe more than one, but feel like failures because of poor sales, reviews, what-have-you. Remember that no matter what happens after your book is released into the world, you will have succeeded in doing something so many aspiring writers never do. How many people say they want to write a book then spend years mulling over ideas, writing outlines, getting the first fifty pages of a story down then losing interest or moving on to something else? Tens of millions? Hundreds of millions?
But you're not one of them.
And since these are 101 thoughts on self-publishing, not tips, tricks or advice, my thought is that if you've had the passion and the drive to finish your book, revise it, and--if you've been so inclined--have it published, then you are already a success.
Now as much as we might insist that we write for the love of writing, that it is about having a story to tell, we must acknowledge that having a little jingle in our pockets in return for all our effort is definitely desirable. But as I said in my last post , you cannot control sales. You cannot control how your work will be received.
Unfortunately, the world is filled with people who will want to bring you down, criticize you, tell you that you're no good, tell you that you're a failure. But don't let others define your success. You will only be a failure if you see yourself as one.
This is a tough business, and I know that sometimes it seems like all your hard work is producing few results. But play for the endgame . Keep reminding yourself that you've already achieved your primary goal: you are a writer.
And when you do find yourself feeling down about sales, about reviews, remember that the work itself is the reward. Claim that reward and congratulate yourself for that accomplishment. As long as you know you've put your all into your work, no thing and no one will ever be able to take that away from you.
***
If you're enjoying the series so far and would like a single page to bookmark, I'll be adding each of my 101 Thoughts on Self-Publishing here . Also be sure to subscribe by email (see the box in the sidebar) to be automatically notified about my new posts.
Best,Michael K. Rose
But you're not one of them.
And since these are 101 thoughts on self-publishing, not tips, tricks or advice, my thought is that if you've had the passion and the drive to finish your book, revise it, and--if you've been so inclined--have it published, then you are already a success.
Now as much as we might insist that we write for the love of writing, that it is about having a story to tell, we must acknowledge that having a little jingle in our pockets in return for all our effort is definitely desirable. But as I said in my last post , you cannot control sales. You cannot control how your work will be received.
Unfortunately, the world is filled with people who will want to bring you down, criticize you, tell you that you're no good, tell you that you're a failure. But don't let others define your success. You will only be a failure if you see yourself as one.
This is a tough business, and I know that sometimes it seems like all your hard work is producing few results. But play for the endgame . Keep reminding yourself that you've already achieved your primary goal: you are a writer.
And when you do find yourself feeling down about sales, about reviews, remember that the work itself is the reward. Claim that reward and congratulate yourself for that accomplishment. As long as you know you've put your all into your work, no thing and no one will ever be able to take that away from you.
***
If you're enjoying the series so far and would like a single page to bookmark, I'll be adding each of my 101 Thoughts on Self-Publishing here . Also be sure to subscribe by email (see the box in the sidebar) to be automatically notified about my new posts.
Best,Michael K. Rose
June 10, 2013
101 Thoughts on Self-Publishing -- 006: Don't Let Failure Define You
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In December of 2012, a project I had been working on for over two years finally came to completion. I published my science fiction novel Chrysopteron. Spanning hundreds of years and several generations, it was a story that touched on space colonization, the future of our planet, religion, human nature, self determination. It was epic, and I was damn proud of it.I published it shortly before Christmas, hoping to draw the attention of those who had been newly gifted with eReaders.
The response? Crickets.
Sure, copies sold to those few who were die-hard fans. But after the initial rush, sales tricked in, if they tricked at all. Even when I reduced the price to 99 cents, it still didn't move. I finally caved and put it in Amazon's Kindle Select program so I could offer it for free. Even free, there just wasn't much interest.
Now, I'm still proud of Chrysopteron, and reviews have indicated that those who have read it do like it, but either the title or the cover or the description just doesn't draw people. I must admit that I became a bit depressed after Chrysopteron's lousy showing, especially since Sullivan's War, my previous novel, had been so well received and continued to sell steadily.
When the sequel to Sullivan's War, Sullivan's Wrath, came out, I had another disappointment. Where were all the people who had bought Sullivan's War? Where was the enthusiasm that had been shown my earlier work?
I felt like a failure. My first year as a self-published author had gone extremely well, but beginning with the release of Chrysopteron, things had come to a near standstill. I was depressed. I abandoned my 12 Novels in 12 Months project. I stopped writing almost entirely.
I had let failure define me.
I wasted several months feeling sorry for myself, months that could have been very productive, that could have produced another novel by now. I don't tell you this to make you feel sorry for me but to warn you against doing the same thing.
There are exactly two things we can control as writers: the writing and the marketing. We can't control how the writing will be received, nor can we control the results of marketing.
If sales are poor, if you get a bad review, if, no matter what you do, no one seems to care about your book, let it go. You can try different marketing strategies, but don't stop writing. The best thing you can do to promote yourself as a writer is to release a new book. Keep writing. Keep producing. If your last book doesn't sell, let it go, and focus on the next.
As I said, I'm still proud of Chrysopteron. I'll continue to market it because I want people to read it. But I know it will probably never be a hit. If I ever become "known," it's not what I'll be known for. But that's okay. I'll keep writing. As long as I do that, I have not failed.
***
If you're enjoying the series so far and would like a single page to bookmark, I'll be adding each of my 101 Thoughts on Self-Publishing here . Also be sure to subscribe by email (see the box in the sidebar) to be automatically notified about my new posts.
Best,Michael K. Rose
June 6, 2013
Three FREE Sci-Fi & Horror eBooks This Weekend!
Hello, all!
I have three free Kindle eBooks available this weekend. The first is my most popular title and the first book of the Sullivan Series, Sullivan's War. It will be free Saturday only, so be sure to grab it then.
The second is my novel Chrysopteron. It doesn't move as well as Sullivan's War, but I personally feel this is the best thing I've written to date, and I hope you decide to give it a try. It will be free from Friday through Sunday.
Finally, my psychological horror short story The Human Body will also be free from Friday through Sunday.
Enjoy!
Sullivan's War, free Saturday (June 8) only! Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon Canada Amazon.de
Chrysopteron, free Friday-Sunday (June 7-9)! Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon Canada Amazon.de
The Human Body, free Friday-Sunday (June 7-9)! Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon Canada Amazon.de
June 1, 2013
SHORT STORIES Just 99 Cents for a Limited Time!
Hello, all! The eBook editions of my collection Short Stories are currently on sale at Amazon and Barnes & Noble for just 99 cents. I'll post links below, but first I'd like to tell you about a new site called
Free Wonder
. I was invited by David Bain to join him and C. Dennis Moore in a promotion there. In addition to the six eBooks the three of us currently have on sale for 99 cents, you will also find links to other discounted or free eBooks. The site will be updated as needed, so there will always be a reason to go check it out to see the latest promos. And authors, you can submit a listing request for your free or discounted books! Please visit the site
here
.To get your Kindle or Nook copy of Short Stories for just 99 cents, click on the appropriate link below.
Amazon US Amazon UK Barnes & Noble
All the Best!Michael K. Rose
May 14, 2013
20% off Editing Services Through the End of May
Hello, all! I have decided to offer a 20% discount for all editing jobs booked from now until the end of May. I offer both basic proofreading and content editing at highly competitive rates. All genres are accepted, and my turnaround time is very quick.
For more information and testimonials, please see my primary website here . If you have any specific questions, I can be reached at myriad_spheres@yahoo.com. Please put "Editing" in the subject line.
All the Best,Michael K. Rose
For more information and testimonials, please see my primary website here . If you have any specific questions, I can be reached at myriad_spheres@yahoo.com. Please put "Editing" in the subject line.
All the Best,Michael K. Rose
May 13, 2013
My Twitter Retweet Policy
I wrote about this topic a while back, but I thought it was time to revisit my policy regarding Twitter retweets. I am very fortunate to have a great many followers who retweet my posts. So many, in fact, that I often find it difficult to consistently reciprocate. Part of this is due to volume, part is Twitter's fault. You see, if someone retweets a post I made the day before, Twitter will list the new retweet along with all the other retweets that have already been made about that post. It's easy for someone who retweeted later than all the others to get lost in the shuffle.
That being said, I do try to reciprocate for those who retweet me or mention me and my books. However, if I miss you, don't hesitate to send a directed tweet for me to retweet. Here's how to do it:
Make your tweet as normal, say, "My novel is #free this weekend, please have a look! (LINK)." Then, at the end of the tweet, add "#RT @MichaelKRose". This will send the tweet to my "Connect" timeline where I see all retweets and mentions of me, rather than the general timeline where all Tweets made by those I'm following appear. As soon as I see it, I'll be happy to send out the retweet for you. I would ask, however, that retweet requests be limited to the topics I generally focus on: books, writing, speculative fiction, etc. These are the things my followers are also interested in.
Thank you to all my Twitter friends who have helped me so much over the past year and a half!
Best,Michael K. Rose
That being said, I do try to reciprocate for those who retweet me or mention me and my books. However, if I miss you, don't hesitate to send a directed tweet for me to retweet. Here's how to do it:
Make your tweet as normal, say, "My novel is #free this weekend, please have a look! (LINK)." Then, at the end of the tweet, add "#RT @MichaelKRose". This will send the tweet to my "Connect" timeline where I see all retweets and mentions of me, rather than the general timeline where all Tweets made by those I'm following appear. As soon as I see it, I'll be happy to send out the retweet for you. I would ask, however, that retweet requests be limited to the topics I generally focus on: books, writing, speculative fiction, etc. These are the things my followers are also interested in.
Thank you to all my Twitter friends who have helped me so much over the past year and a half!
Best,Michael K. Rose
