T.E. MacArthur's Blog, page 6

See Jane (Austen) run … See Jane get it oh-so right for 200 years

Steampunk friends and fans, 200+ years after Jane Austen published Sense and Sensibility (1811) she’s still one of the most read and re-read authors in a multitude of languages.  In fairness, ask yourself what current Steampunk novel will have that staying power?

The hardest thing for a new author, like me, to do is face the fact that we are not Jane Austen and it may take time for us to develop our skills to match what appears to have come naturally to her (encouraged by a very open minded family and the late 18th Century private school system for girls.)  Some writers are just that good.  Good writers become that good.  So today, you may not write the Great American Novel, but if you don’t put pen to paper, you will never write it.

What does Jane do that is so wonderful that we should emulate it?  I’m no expert – only a fan – but here is one thing I want to improve in my skill set:  Damn fine characters!

Characters you know in life but on a grander scale. 

As a new(ish) writer, I question whether I’ve gone the distance with developing my characters. 

We all know someone who is constantly thinking she’s sick, desperate for attention, and oblivious to anyone else’s needs.  Mary Musgrove in Persuasion (1818) is not just self absorbed, she’s quite over the top in her inability to recognize any feelings but her own.  She cruelly tells her sister Anne all about how Anne’s former love doesn’t think much of her anymore – as though sharing what she knows is more important than how that information will hurt her sister’s feelings.  We know people who are like this on a much more subtle scale but to play the character of Mary out so strongly against the calm compassionate character of Anne Elliot gives the reader a sense of understanding for Anne.  A link to Anne.  Were Mary only a little attention seeking, Anne’s tried patience and deep wounds would never be recognized.  Her disproportionally selfish family would not have the impact it does. 

The lesson Austen gives us is that average is just not enough.  We need to take our characters above and beyond.  Mrs. Bennet (Pride and Prejudice, 1813) and her frivolousness is a clear exaggeration of a normal person so many of us could point to in our own social circles.  The sense of entitlement and importance shown by Mrs. Bennet is inflated even more in the snobbery of Caroline Bingley, who does not even attempt to disguise her “snarky” rudeness towards her rival in Elizabeth Bennet.  We feel for “Lizzie’s” bruised feelings and root for her all the more.

Not all characters are all one thing.

Villains are main the recipients of this limiting practice: making a character one dimensional.  But if you look around, as Austen did in her time, you see that not everyone is all bad or all good.  Think about your own social circle.  You know some terrific people with a bad habit or two?  I was shocked to learn one day that an acquaintance I otherwise admired held some rather racist notions.  Did that make him a bad person?  Or was he simply a person with a bad habit (I am glad to report he worked actively to counter.)  Take George Wickham (Pride and Prejudice): a really bad guy who doesn’t entirely see himself as a bad guy.  He turns out to be a liar and a blackmailer, but somehow he manages to do so while being charming.  He believes he’s entitled to his gains and feels his grudge against Mr. Darcy is justified.  And what of the famous Mr. Darcy?  He arrogant, aloof, and antisocial – all behaviors we would see as being unacceptable, and yet in context of a wholly developed character, they are part of what makes him believable rather than a caricature of a hero.  Mr. Darcy is probably one of Austen’s most enduring characters: flawed, good in heart, willing to learn.

The Lesson Austen give us is that no one is 100% anything.  We all have flaws and those little quirks of nature are what make us interesting.  Also, we (and our characters) see the world through limited lenses.  Wickham is absolutely certain he is not the bad guy, but a put-upon man who is due something.  His lens will never allow him to see that his actions are essentially wicked.  Mr. Darcy sees the world through a rich man’s lens, not understanding the value of a person until he learns that lesson from Elizabeth Bennet. 

Jane Ausen will last – her work has already withstood the test of time.  The trick now is to develop our Austen-like writing skills so that we too can share our stories in a timeless way.  Of course, with a few interesting inventions too.

Journey to the Center of the Jökull – (Giving volcanic ash the finger or Part 2)

They have T-shirts and magnets for sale at every shop in Iceland, but for once, the cheesy tourist junk was tempting because it was funny.

“What part of Eyjafjallajökull do you not understand.”  I HAD to get the magnet!

The Icelandic Kroner is a wildly flocculating rascal in the international exchange world.  Rather more colorful than Monopoly money, it sometimes carries the same value.  And of course, a week after we left, the value against the U.S. Dollar dipped and we would have had 30% more spending power.  Well, perhaps it all worked to keep us on budget and to keep our luggage under maximum weight.

The weight of our luggage is key, as it is ridiculously expensive to have to pay for extra baggage capacity to the airlines (a scam, I swear.)  You see, I had rocks in my luggage.  And ash.  And sand.  And more rocks.  I’m surprised I didn’t end up bringing 1/3 of Eyjafjallajökull back home with me.  I’m also surprised I didn’t get searched by customs, but that story is a little later.

When last you heard, we, your temporary adventuring heroes, were threading our way up to the infamous volcano, Eyjafjallajökull, having passed by the unpredictable volcano, Hekla.  Southwestern Iceland is simply gorgeous: black cliffs steaming with geothermal activity, broken lava flows, and flat pastures dotted with Icelandic Horses and Sheep.  The ocean is on the right, volcanoes on the left, as you head down the coast.  Perfect, in my book.  With our super jeep guide, Clint, we headed east on a nicely maintained road – that became a decent dirt and gravel road – that became no road at all but a series of jeep ruts in black sand – that became river crossing after river crossing; the water often coming up to the door.  Clint knew what he was doing (his mother owns the business and it was her jeep – fill in appropriately just how much he didn’t want to come back without the jeep.  We had already paid, so we weren’t really part of that equation.)

To our left side was what remained of a valley, which Eyjafjallajökull’s subglacial flood waters had devastated.  To our right side was the glacier and mountain.  Suddenly, the right side opened up to a huge ravine and, you got it, we off-roaded our way deep into that bleak canyon.  Clint explained that we were actually on the bottom of a lake bed.  “Eyja” had flooded the underside of her glaciers with the heat from the eruption and the torrential rush of water had dragged down huge boulders.  Boulders, erupted lava, and tons of ash mixed into a volcanic cement blasted out the side of the 30 meter deep lake and drained it completely out into the valley.

We arrived at the foot of the glacier, and I was stunned to learn that National Geographic does not photoshop color into its glacier pictures: it really is that blue.  As we got out of the jeep, cameras in hand, and a rubber latex glove (more on that later,) in time to hear a deafening crack of ice and an enormous thud!  Clint and I raced over to the edge of the hill we parked on, but never did find where that ice broke off.  Below us was a good sized glacial (read freezing!) river, and boulders the size of our vehicle.  Cooled lava and ash was everywhere.  Some rocks were so fresh from the crater (about a football field’s length away from us) that they hadn’t solidified yet.

If one can describe Reykjavik as gray, here one must describe the land as black.  No moss, no flowers, no insects, no birds … nothing mammalian beyond the three of us and four other tourists.  Sound came only from the glacier, the river, the wind, and the mountain.  Below us was ice covered in ash – and sometimes not well covered.  Above us were the jagged remains of the mountain top – still smoking and hosting a microclimate drizzle.  Just beyond our view was the crater.

 

I could hear the sound of the mountain, like an old voice wondering if anyone was coming to visit or we’d forgotten the volcano again?  I’m used to noise: traffic, loud neighbors, TV, even my chatty cat.  Here?  Nothing but wind and river, glacier and crater.  Silence.

When I went to Hawaii in 2008, we were told not to take the rocks.  Don’t touch them, don’t take them.  National Park Rangers regularly scowled at anyone with too much interest in the Hawaiian lava rocks.  It’s a bit different in Iceland.  Before we got out of our super jeep (which was at any time in danger of being swallowed up in a sink hole) Clint inquired if I’d brought my baggies.  Why no, I don’t have my mandatory 6 kilos baggie with me.  If he wanted to roll a doobie, he should have told me earlier – not that I know where to get weed, but hey, I would have given it my best shot.  “Take anything you can carry,” he told me.  Really?  But, I honestly didn’t have a baggie.  So, Clint produced a latex glove.  No, I didn’t ask him why he had one latex glove in his jeep.  I’m not that kind of voyeur.  Yet the glove was handy (pun intended.)  I scooped up wet, volcanic ash, filling every finger with the black goop (hence the name of this blog entry) and stuck it in my jacket pocket.  I then proceeded to run around the glacial area, taking photos, trying not to fall into the river, with a rubber glove waggling its fingers like an octopus dancing.  You could say the ash gave me the finger.

The said ash filled latex glove went into my luggage along with lava rocks.  Lots of lava rocks.  And a Raven’s foot (another long story for another time – suffice it to say that no Raven was using it at the time it was acquired.)  Now, picture yourself as a customs inspector.  A nice rollie with a pink satin bow comes under your x-ray machine and you see … yeah, as I said, I am still amazed the bag wasn’t put aside and I was not taken out of line at customs.  Sure, YOU say it’s no big deal, but you weren’t there, looking at the fact that those big, burly, hoping-to-become-a-bouncer guys are carrying guns.

Said glove was eventually sacrificed to the volcano gods and opened up so I could dry the ash and put it in a lovely jar.  The glove has gone the way of all latex gloves, but … hey, I didn’t mean it that way!

Journey to the Center of … Eyjafjallajökull (don’t panic – we’ll review the pronunciation.) (Part 1)

Tours can be great for authors – all that professional wisdom and tidbits of useless trivia only we can appreciate.  Weird little things can come up in the oddest places, such as my overhearing that until the 20th Century most ships couldn’t dock in Reykjavik because the harbor is shallow and other harbors were the ports of choice.  This is actually important if I want to show a character landing in Iceland accurately.  They won’t be stepping off the ship, onto a dock, the way we would depict it in London or Boston.  But the buyer needs to be wary – as I mentioned before, Iceland is expensive and you need to treat every expenditure as an investment in your vacation fun or your writing research.

Don’t bother with the overpriced, unimpressive, rushed, big bus tours.  I thought I was being wise: new to the country – let the experienced people show you the land.  Nope!  I was wrong: the big bus tour to Þingvellir National Park was stressful and lead by a guide who frankly wanted to be somewhere else.  He was, in fact, stunningly dull and disconnected.  The driver was quite friendly and willing to answer questions, but the guide would give a one-word answer, often “dunno,” and then walk away.  We still saw gorgeous sites on that tour but the new plan is to go back and take our time.  30 minutes to see where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is tearing an island apart is … no duh … not enough time.  The big bus tours are packed, cramped, rushed and not much fun at all.

Then of course there’s the whole tourist factor: you want to see Gullfoss (foss means waterfall) and 100 septuagenarians have packed the 120 steps down to the best viewing spot – in both directions.  Even I move faster up stairs and I have the grace of a Minke Whale (which by the way is likely part of the reason Icelanders eat them – they’re not the quickest critters in the deep.)  Don’t even think of getting a nice bottle of glacier water at the tourist shop – here too the non-indigenous septuagenarian has come to roost in more numbers than the Puffins and you were only given 30 minutes to see the foss, peruse the shop, buy something ridiculously excessive in cost, get your water (from ANOTHER check out, of course) and get back to the big bus before the surly guide scolds you in front of the tourists who had enough sense to abandon it all and get back early.

You can imagine what the line to the bathroom was like and with all that rushing water … ugh!

The next day, however, we booked a super jeep tour to the south, to go to the volcano in Eyjafjallajökull (by the way jökull means glacier, not mountain.)  Why yes, that IS the very same volcano that messed with air traffic in Europe back in 2010.  Everyone say it with me: Eh-ya-aff-la(t)-yo-kull(t).  Knew you could.

These tours are family operated and usually only have six people plus the driver/guide (http://www.volcanotours.is).  We got lucky: it was just me, my friend, and “Clint” Erlingsson (the fellow on the right.)  As I’m sure happens every time, we asked him for his real name, and Clint had the graciousness to not roll his eyes as we butchered it.  You can picture it, and write it, as real dialog: 

“Okay, my name is Hlynur (sounds a little like saying “Clint” with a really bad head cold and congestion.)

“Hlll-een-ee-urt?”

“Hlynur.”

“Chyllnut-r-eh-t?”

“Hlynur.”

“So, Clint, where are we off to?”

We were off down the southwest coast of the island in an SUV on steroids, with bacon wrapped hot dogs (look, they eat horse, fermented shark, Puffin, and Minke Whale – bacon wrapped hot dogs just seems normal.)

Waterfalls … did I mention that there are waterfalls in Iceland?  Holy Cascades, Batman, are there waterfalls.  Most are coming down from the numerous jökull in the south and central portions of the country.  (See, you remembered that means glacier, didn’t you.  You’re learning.)  Which of course means that they are cold!  But amazing.

Once we’d filled up on waterfalls, it was off to the devastated land around the infamous volcano.  We were grateful for the super jeep.  Not only are the tires bigger, but the air intake for the engine is located above potential waterlines.  This is important as we are driving/swimming/snorkeling our jeep through substantial rivers.  There is no cell phone signal at Eyjafjallajökull.  I have no idea if this is due to distance or the lack of desire to climb a crumbling, exploding mountain to put up a cell tower for the 6 humans silly enough to drive out there.  Needless to say, if one floods their engine, help is not really on the way.

And with that, I have to cut my blog into more parts.  My self-proclaimed agent and everyone who has the slightest knowledge about blogs agrees that 500 – 900 words are best.  Besides, I want room for photos, so stand by – the actual Volcano visit is next!

Journey to the Center of … Iceland!

Jules Verne might not have set foot on Iceland before releasing his Journey to the Center of the Earth, but in anticipation of the third Volcano Lady novel (cross your fingers for a Spring 2014 release,) I did.  Not only is the country on my Bucket List of travelling to the three “I” countries (Iceland, Indonesia, and India,) it is also the planned destination of our heroine, Lettie Gantry.  How could either of us resist: beautiful glacier-cut valleys, rolling green pastures, lava flows, spectacular waterfalls, lava flows, fascinating black sand beaches, lava flows … oh yes, did I mention lava?

Iceland is a land on contrasts, as any good travel tome will tell you.  Despite its name and the presence of the largest icecap in Europe, its coastal areas are quite mild thanks to the warm waters of the Gulf Stream.  If those waters ever cool or divert, Iceland is in for some serious trouble (shhhh … don’t tell any mad scientists!)  Green, black, cool, bleak, stunning, shattered, flooded, ancient … every good adjective seems to be made for Iceland.  Let me add: cool adults, too!  My only job was to soak up the beauty and to take notes so that what I describe in Volcano Lady #3 gives the reader the best, most accurate, realistic impression.  I want a reader to be able to feel the spray off of Gullfoss or smell the sulfur leaching out of the cliff sides.

A little travel info for authors and everyone else:  To do the research, you got to get in country and almost literally sniff the dirt.  Ewww?  No.  If you ever want your readers to believe that such places exist, you need to tell them what things look like, sound like, and yes … smell like.  Even if  your characters don’t travel by air or stay in Guesthouses, you will learn things they might have learned themselves.

To start with, you need to plan a bit ahead.  Iceland has so much going on and yet so little, that you can easily find yourself under or over whelmed by the options.  It’s expensive, so use your funds wisely.  Invest in private operations, museums, and good restaurants. 

Reykjavik is bleak.  The roads are made of gray lava based asphalt.  The sidewalks are made with squares cut from gray lava.  The foundations of most buildings are made with gray lava rocks.  The concrete which forms 80% of the buildings, including churches, is made with gray lava gravel.  Most homes are covered in aluminum siding the color of gray lava.  The water is gray, the glass windows in new high rises reflect that gray, the sky is foggy and gray … do you get the idea?  Occasionally the buildings are painted, but not often enough for this San Francisco gal who is used to the brightly colored, Victorian “painted ladies.”  Don’t let that stop you from visiting.  The people will more than make up for the lack of color.

Icelanders are not isolationists by choice.  This is just the way it can be due to location.  Its not something they embrace - they get excited with each chance to meet or try something new.  (However, my fellow Americans, we need to get over thinking we’re “special.”  People want to meet you because of YOU and not because of the country that issued your passport.)  They will do you the kindness of speaking English without asking.  The Icelandic language is as close to Viking language as you can get, having not really changed since the Settlement back in 871 AD.  Needless to say, you’ll pick up words but for the most part you will need to study hard to be able to join them in conversation.  They quite courteously speak English for your comfort, and their ability to sell you tourist stuff (they are friendly and not at all stupid.)

Museums in Reykjavik are interesting but rather focused on modern times.  Few if any are focused on the Viking era which we realized much to the consternation of my travel partner who was researching Viking culture.  Many of the museums can be done in 30 minutes but cost about USD $16 – $20 to get in.  The best was the National Museum, followed by the Settlement House (an archaeological dig under a building in town,) and the Perlan – Saga Museum (a slightly hokey but well researched wax museum.)

For my interests, we trouped over to the Volcano House, not realizing that it’s a café, with a couple of tables ofgeological exhibits, two old documentaries you need to pay to see, and boxes of “lava” you can buy and take home.  As much as I adored the staff and sort of warmed up to the idea of the place once I realized what it was, don’t buy the box of lava rocks – you can get all the lava you want by picking it up everywhere you go, even outside your hotel.  They WANT you to take it home.  They’ll give you baggies or a Latex glove if you need (more on that later.  No, seriously, I’ll need to explain that.)

Later in the week we headed down to the last bastion of Viking culture: the Viking Village, home of the Viking Festival, at the Viking Hotel, where you can get dinner at the Viking Restaurant.  Before you laugh, let me tell you that we expected the full on Disney experience.  Instead, we found a charming hotel with the loveliest manager, and a festival of international artists and Viking enthusiasts.  The room was sparse, as most in Iceland are, but the breakfast was splendid and the dinners fantastic.  So it was a little cheesy – it is worth the price.  The hot tub is worth the price! 

Iceland and Reykjavik seem to be two different places, which is typical of most countries as the capital never quite fits with the rest.  However, you need to give Reykjavik a try, if for no other reason than it is a fun spot for tourist shopping, café lounging, eating, and walking.

Next up: Volcanoes!

To Con or not to Con – that is a Steampunk author’s question

For an author or a budding author, is it worth one’s time, energy, and money to attend Steampunk conventions and events.  After reading an article by Jay Lake, the Guest of Honor at Gaslight Gathering (San Diego) 2013, one might conclude the answer is no.  But I would like to differ (with much respect to Mr. Lake as he brings up many good points and does not entirely discourage his fellow authors.)  The gist of his article is that Sci Fi conventions are author friendly where Steampunk conventions are not: so why bother?  (FYI, I am not quoting Mr. Lake below, I’m just summerizing what he and a few others have suggested.)

A little background: I’ve been a Geek all my life.  Prior to getting published, I wanted to be a comic book artist.  I highly recommend trying and FAILING in a big way – which I did.  I’m not too bad an artist but I just don’t have what it takes for the comic book industry.  And I’m still here!  The world did not blow up.  I did not die of shattered dreams.  I just moved along, considerably wiser (one hopes.)  During the nearly 20 years I spent flogging my art, I did 80% of it at Science Fiction conventions.  I know conventions, especially those designed along the same paradigm such as today’s Steampunk convention.  From this weird and wonderful experience I present my point of view.

Steampunk is costume and prop oriented where Sci Fi conventions are more literary, thus authors don’t do as well.  Okay, some of this is accurate in my experience.  Steampunk draws to it those who love gadgets and bits and parts and shiny things.  Yet, I spent many a dollar getting “stuff” at the Sci Fi cons too.  People competed for who could reproduce the latest Star Trek weapon or make something new.  The costume aspect has dropped a bit at Sci Fi cons, but it hasn’t gone away.  Without meaning the slightest negative connotation, cons are very much about posing and appreciating others who are posing.  Therefore, I conclude that Steampunk and Sci Fi share a love for the aesthetic, and this has not slowed Sci Fi books sales in the least.  Get the author to dress up a bit, and things go even better for them.
Steampunk fans want toys and workshops, not books.  I have to argue against this point.  Steampunkers are avid readers.  When they gather up, they want to make things and show off.  When they are at home, they want to tinker and read.  Conventions need to recognize this emphasis and to make appropriate adjustments.  Clockwork Alchemy is giving this the old college try: we have the Author’s Salon – a series of panels and workshop intensives for writers, cosplayers, and LARPers.  Want to get published; want to design fascinating characters; want to understand how a real gunfight works?  CA has designed a “maker” style approach to authorship.  I’ll let you know how it goes.
If one is not selling books now, they never will because Steampunk conventions are different.  Sure they’re different, they are also new.  Consider that most people still haven’t heard of the Steampunk genre.  Every convention I know of is either brand new or no more than five years old.  It takes 5 years minimum to establish an event.  It takes time for things to settle, change, and evolve.   It takes time to get more than your cousin Joe to attend because you got him a free membership.  Many conventions have tiny membership numbers, so your potential market is a little stunted at first.  The same was true of Sci Fi conventions at first.  Let’s leave off despair and abandonment just yet.  There is room to grow a convention environment that includes writing and writers.  If in 10 years nothing has changed, well, then we can rethink things.
Books don’t sell at Steampunk conventions and poor book sales are bad.  Well, no duh – we all want to sell our books and to quit our day jobs.  But not selling today doesn’t mean you won’t sell tomorrow.  If you want to guarantee a lack of sales, don’t show up.  Don’t shake hands or make eye contact.  Don’t share what you’ve learned.  Like the event that needs five years to get up to speed, so does the author.  Look, it’s going to take you a while to get established, especially in a world where anyone can get a book printed, and the first few years are going to be expensive.  Be the outstanding author no one can forget.  Enjoy the journey and take every chance you can get to meet fans.  Make them happy to say they’ve met you.

Be an unrelenting force.  Don’t just let things happen, work with the conventions and build them to be author friendly.  So slap some goggles on your hat and get out there.  Steampunk is a whole new, old world.  If you want it to be author supportive, make it that way.  No one is going to do it for you.

Yankee #2 is Coming!!!

The second Yankee Must Die novella is ready for release.

But wait!

An Exclusive for attendees of Clockwork Alchemy

The Bay Area’s Steampunk convention May 24-27, 2013

San Jose, California – Double Tree Inn

A Special offer

(shhhhhh – I’m not telling yet.  Check back here for details.

I promise not to make you wait long.)

Old West meets Steampunk!! And I’ll be there!

Did I mention that I suffer from “insufficient reluctance syndrome” aka volunteerism! But this looks like so much fun!I’ll be in Calico Ghost Town for the Wild West Fest in April!!!







Here’s the announcement from the events planner:We have added another panel to the WWF! Very exciting and more yet to come! Stay tuned..

Those Bad Bad Boys (Writer Panel)-Hosted by T.E. MacArthur

… or How to design a villain that doesn’t make a reader chuckle (unless you want them to.) …Today’s writer faces competition from thousands of new authors every year not to mention an ever-pickier readership. What makes any new fiction rise above the unwashed masses of books is a villain or villains who are unique, scary, and yes … understandable. Let’s review some basics of bad guy building, psychological foundations for psychos, and do a little one-on-one work with the villain you are creating. We might talk about fight scene development too. Any evil-doer can have a moustache: it’s the way he twirls it that gives your novel flare!

 

The time hasn’t been set but the panel will be on Saturday.  The rest of the day you will be able to find me in the vending area with books!!!Check out this fun new event – in a ghost town no less – and with Champagne Balloon Rides too!

 
www.wayneevents.com
https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/395364357216180/425870087498940/?notif_t=plan_mall_activity

Calling all Authors of the Next Great American Novel

I hate to spring these things on you, but you might want to know that there are some surprises no one warns you about – until now.  Well … okay … there are blogs out there giving you a heads-up about some aspects of becoming a published author, but I have this overwhelming need to toss in my $0.02 worth.  As an aside: ever notice you don’t have the “cent” sign on your keyboard, only the dollar sign … how times have changed.  Well, times have changed for authors too.

The Crying Game.  When the proof of my book the Volcano Lady #1 first arrived, I cried.  No kidding – I’m a weepy sentimentalist that way.  I sobbed when the first box of final copies arrived.  By gummy, I had achieved a lifetime’s dream: I was in print.  I’m up to my third novel and admittedly, I still get choked up.  No one can take that from you, nor should you give it away on some pretense that real authors aren’t impressed by this stuff – you better believe we are, regardless of whether you are self published, independently published, or traditionally published.  Always keep a hanky nearby on delivery dates ‘cause that’s YOUR baby.

Now that you’ve got your eBook and/or paperback in hand, some little surprises may sneak up on you (and it doesn’t hurt to know this before publishing too.)

The digital age has made self publishing easy.  And that’s cool by me, really.  But what may catch you off guard is how easy is really is.  Too much so.  Sure, my friends are all excited and I have a lovely boyfriend who nags me about making time to write.  Family has been there in spades and brag openly about the author in the family.  BUT … when I mention this to people I meet (and yes, you should, it’s called marketing) I sometimes get a glazed-over expression from them as though they equate “author” with “out of work dreamer – any one of 10,000.”  Get used to it, we in America don’t value our artists the way we should.  Just learn to be the outstanding 1 in 10,000.
Anyone can self publish, which is really the problem.  By “anyone,” I mean ANYONE.  The market is flooded with books on every topic.  While I question the veracity of the traditional publishing industry today, there are good things to be said of the work of Agents, Editors, and Purchasing Committees.  The flotsam and jetsam get sorted out of the milieu, and it can be argued that the result is a better quality (though that could be a whole other topic to argue.)  So, don’t be entirely shocked if your announcement of “I am a published author” is answered with “really, so am I.  Wanna’ read my latest eBook?  It’s free!”   Memorize this statement now unless you want your work to be trashed and dismissed as proof that any fool can self publish: MY EDITOR IS MY FRIEND AND PARTNER.  Lather, Rinse, Repeat – often.  Please trust me on this.
Since the rise of eBooks and the lingering lack of societal support for art, the combination has been a devaluation of your work.  “What do you mean you want $6.99 for your eBook?  There’s no paper so I shouldn’t have to pay more than $0.99.”  You’re going to hear that.  I hear it constantly.  Prepare your elevator speech reply now.  It should go something like this: “Oh, I agree there’s no paper, but let me tell you what it took to write the book.  First I had XX schooling.  And wow, one of my characters really required me to do some soul searching and growing up; the story demanded in-depth research for months; and let’s not forget giving up my social life/finding time to sit down to carefully design and build the story into something I am very proud of and I think you’ll like.  (Don’t worry about run-on sentences here; the best play is to keep talking so they can’t interrupt you.)  It took years to learn my craft.  Then there’s the editor I had to pay, the cost of formatting, getting an ISBN.  Publishing isn’t cheap.  But I’ve kept my costs down because I’d really like you to read it.”
The Trekkie Syndrome.  Okay, you’re in print and guess what: the world now owns your “baby” and feels free to criticize, plagiarize, and appropriate the fruits of your labor.  When you do book signings, especially at fan-based conventions, gird your loins for the influx of unwanted comments, snide remarks, and bad advice on how you can do better.  No one is more picky than a Trekkie (and I am one) which is why I call this little surprise the Trekkie Syndrome.  This is not necessarily a bad thing: you can learn a great deal from the nit-pickers and icky reviewers.  You must, however hard it is, thicken your skin.  Oh, that is much easier to type than to do.  After all, they are attacking your baby.  But, just because it might be harsh or offensive doesn’t mean you can’t put it to use or ignore it with a smile.
Which brings me to the last point: Getting your book done is the art: Getting your book sold is the business.  No matter who published your work, in this day and age, you are your own Business Manager, Marketing Specialist, and Publicity Agent.  There’s no getting around that.  This means that you need to be painfully aware that writing and selling are a business.  If you go to an agent, unwilling to change or promote your latest creation, you’re going to go home with the web address of Create Space self publisher in your pocket and nothing more.  Publishers need to know that you are willing to go the distance to help them make money off your book.  If you are self published, then it’s all on you and you can’t be an air-head artist when it comes to selling.

I sure hope this helps!  I intend to help as many as I can to avoid “re-inventing the wheel.”  More to come, I promise, especially on the topic of dealing with the public!

Don’t forget you actually can get a free copy of my latest: go to my post of 2/15/13 and click on the link to download a PDF copy of The Yankee Must Die.

Here It Is!!! The Yankee Must Die: Huaka’i Po (the Nightmarchers)

This is the first novella in the Gaslight Adventures of Tom Turner series.  And since you have been such great support (or will be) I am offering you a free PDF download.

Before you grab your copy, there are a few rules.  This novella is copyright protected.  You may not sell this novella in whole or in part.  Only the author (me) is authorized to determine and assign selling agents on my behalf.  The free download is for your use only.  If a friend would like to read it, send them here and they can have a free download copy too.  Really, it’s quite simple: writing is an art, and as an artist, I wish to maintain control over my creation.  As G.D. Falskin said in one of his blogs, this is not just our obsession but our profession.  Please help me by honoring a work I am happy to share with you under specific circumstances that protect the effort and experience that has allowed me to write.

Last rule: Please either like or comment if you have downloaded the PDF novella.

Here is the link to the Free PDF: http://volcanolady.com/the_yankee_must_die.pdf

Paperback editions available through Amazon for $6.99: http://www.amazon.com/Yankee-Must-Die-Nightmarchers-Adventures/dp/161752154X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1360943776&sr=1-1

Kindle editions available through Amazon Kindle for $0.99: (coming soon)

** Only 3 More Days before the release of The Yankee Must Die!**

In 3 days, the first novella (dime novel; penny dreadful; serial adventure) of

The Yankee Must Die books will be released … HERE … for FREE!

Come back on Friday, Feb 15th and download a free PDF copy of the Gaslight Adventures of Tom Turner.  If you wish to have that more Victorianesque experience, a hard copy of the novella will be available through Amazon along with a Kindle version.  These will have a charge, sorry, but I’ve kept it to a minimum.  My intention is that you should enjoy a good romp through a world of Steam Machines, Hawaiian Ghosts, Pirates, and Volcanoes.

(Another wonderful cover by S.N. Jacobson!)