Edward Lorn's Blog, page 80

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Clarifying Some Things

Hello everybody.

I’ve received a few emails from readers and authors alike wondering why I’ve chosen to forsake my indie/small press street cred (no, I couldn’t keep a straight face after typing that) to take on the big publishing world. I’m not upset by this question, but it seems I’ve been misunderstood. Here is my attempt to clarify some things.

First, I am a very happy indie/small press author. I sell relatively well in the book market, but the majority of my��income comes from Audible. Most recently, my serial novel��Cruelty has started bringing money in because of Kindle Unlimited.��Instead of $0.35 an episode, I’m making well over a dollar an episode, depending on the KDP Select share for the month, which is even more than the cover price of each episode. So yes, I’m happy with the way things are.

Secondly, I enjoy being small time. Being small time means I can interact with everyone that wants to interact with me. I do not look forward to a day when I will be unable to answer every email and respond to every comment. That, my friends, would suck. So no, my decision isn’t about fame.

Thirdly, I am doing this because I’m a firm believer in having something for everyone. I also believe in growth. The novels I’m submitting to major publishers are not horror novels. They are dark, somewhere in the vein of Caroline Kepnes’s��You, and yes, even like some of Gillian Flynn’s work, but definitely not in the horror genre. Let’s call it bleak literary fiction. My most recent work��is nothing like��Cruelty�� and��Life After��Dane and��Bay’s End.��This does not mean I will never return to horror. What this does mean is that I am spreading my wings and covering more ground. Going with Penguin Random House or HarperCollins means I will be able to tap those of you that do not read horror, and those of you that do not read independent/small press authors. I’m not giving up on anything, I’m only expanding.

I love the career I have. I do not suggest anyone else take the same route as me, or even use my meager success as a blueprint for their own careers. I’m having fun, doing what I feel is right for me at this time, but��this��path could very well��be catastrophic for others. In other words, don’t try this at home. Hell, I don’t even know if I’ll succeed, but the journey is half the fun.

I hope this answers any questions you might have. Thanks for reading.

E.

A Decade with King: 1974-1984

“Nobody was really surprised when it happened, not really, not at a subconscious level where savage things grow.”��Carrie, by Stephen King

Prefatory��Matters:��Back in September 2014, I decided to reread Stephen King’s entire catalog, chronologically, by date of publication. Then, I went a bit further. I decided to complete this challenge in a single year. That’s a decade of King every three months. These posts will be a bit emotional, as they are my personal experiences with King’s work. For spoiler-laden reviews of each novel, you can click on the corresponding title. At the end, I will attempt to tie all books back into the Dark Tower using my own theories and facts King himself has verified.

This, my fellow Constant Readers, is A Decade with King, 1974-1984.

Stephen King is my favorite band. I grew up listening to him. I can map out my life by what King novel I was reading during the more pivotal events of my existence. When someone mentions one of his books, I recall what happened to me while I was reading that particular book instead of the book itself. Yes, King’s writing is like music to me, it holds that same power, the power of memory, that certain songs can hold over others. I have my favorite tunes, but overall, I simply love the band.

My love for all things King (as well as my book collection) was passed down from my mother. She’s still kicking around, but has moved away from King in her later years. My most vivid memory of my mother’s relationship with King is her story of how she came to read her first King novel. The year was 1979. Mom was in nursing school, and had no idea who Stephen King was. Hell, she wasn’t much of a reader, period. That year, she’d just happened to be doing clinicals during flu season. Stephen King had released��The Stand the previous Fall, and Mom’s best friend Andrita had talked her into reading a new author. You can probably see where this is going: new nurse, flu season, King,��The Stand. Yup, the book scared the shit out of her. But she was hooked. A year��later, while reading��The Dead Zone, she found out she was pregnant with me.��My fandom��wouldn’t start until 1993 and the release of��Dolores��Claiborne. That story’s coming up shortly.

(The following has been pulled directly [well, I edited it a wee bit] from my review of��Pet Sematary.)

Concerning the Great Book Closet: My mother��kept King’s��scariest novels in her room.��It, Pet Sematary, ‘Salem’s Lot, and The Shining did not enter what she called The Great Book Closet (which was a walk-in number filled completely with stacks of hardcover horror novels, which I would inherit upon turning 21; she didn’t die, she just kinda handed them over) until 1997. I’d read��Dolores Claiborne and Misery, but had no idea that such terrifying treasures awaited me. When the hidden novels were introduced back into her massive collection of Dean R. Koontz, Peter Straub, John Saul (which is why I have such an affection for that old hack and continue to collect his books to this day), James Herbert, L. Ron Hubbard, and, of course, King, I snatched up the shortest of the four (Pet Sematary). I was seventeen by this time, but I still wasn’t prepared for the book I read.

Concerning the Stephen King Book Club: Now, you might be asking yourself why on earth my mother allowed me to read Dolores Claiborne when I was only 13. The book is definitely not for preteens. It deals whole hog with such hardcore topics as murder, spousal abuse, and child molestation. Well, the truth of the matter is, Mom didn’t know. In the fall of 1993, a plain brown box arrived in the mail. Mom was at work, Dad was passed out drunk in front of his Cubs game, and I, as preordained by my mother, got the mail out of the box after school. I read the return address upon the label and committed the��first and last felony of my life: I stole my mother’s mail. (Well, I borrowed it, anyway.) I sneaked off to my room, tore open the plain brown box, and goggled the image of Dolores gazing down into a well while an eclipse occurred over her shoulder. I paged it open, read the first line, and was off. I read that book every chance I got, but mostly by flashlight and while I was supposed to be sleeping. Finished it in three days, too. Me, a kid who took almost a month to read the novelization of��Terminator 2, read an adult book of over 300 pages in three days. I’d always been a fan of having a story told to me, and that’s what King did in Dolores Claiborne. Quite awesomely, he uses Dolores to tell the tale, and I felt as if she were talking directly to me. Before that novel, I thought the only monsters in existence belonged to Universal Studios, but after reading about Dolores’s husband, my view of monsters changed. I realized humans could be monsters, too. And that I had known one, once upon a time. He’d lived a few doors down from us, and I would come to write about him decades later. But it took��Dolores Claiborne before I realized how truly evil that man was.

So, I’ve told you what King’s books had to do with my mother, my birth, and my coming of age. There’s more, but that will have to wait for future posts. Now, I suppose, I need to discuss the books I read between October and December of 2014.

Carrie makes me think of my daughter. I was rereading that book when my wife told me she was pregnant with our��first child. Funny, huh? First kid, King’s first book. Teddy Duchamp’s son is mentioned in this book. He works at a gas station in Chamberlain, where��Carrie��takes place. You’ll recall Teddy from��The Body. There’s also mention of a teacher named Edwin King, which I find hilarious, as this is the first time King wrote himself into one of his novels. Stephen Edwin King used to teach high school. So no, sports fans, Wolves of the Calla is not the first time King thrust himself into one of his own books. I honestly can’t remember the first time I read this one. I think it was during my drug days. Favorite part: The stones. Cool shit, daddy-o.

‘Salem’s Lot��makes me think about Twilight. Every time some poor soul tells me they’re thinking about reading Meyers’s take on vamps, I direct them toward Jerusalem’s Lot. Seriously, folks, you can do better. In my opinion, there is no better vampire novel. Then again, I hate vampires, so take that into consideration. The first time I read this one, I was working overnights at a hospital. I got to take my first body to cold storage that week. This meant riding down five floors in an elevator with a corpse on a gurney. Fun times, kids, lemme tell ya! A dog named Chopper is mentioned herein, but I doubt he is the same one from The Body.��Favorite Part: Danny Glick at the window. Draws my nuts into my chest every-frakkin’-time.

The Shining is another hospital memory. I had this nurse that I worked with whom everyone hated. I’ll call her Foot, because instead of “fuck” she’d say “foot” but everyone knew what she meant. Foot, me, and a handful of other nurses were in the break room one night. I was going on and on about how much I loved��‘Salem’s Lot��when Foot says: “The Shining is the only one of his books I’ve ever been able to finish. Everything else is just too wordy.” I miss Foot. No one liked her because she was a “hard ass”. She got the job done though, and I loved working with her because everything always went smoothly when she was there. (Foot, if you ever read this (and you’ll know who you are, I’m sure), thanks for being you.) Dick Hallorann pops up all throughout the King-verse, but his next big role would be in Mike’s tale of The Black Spot, in the It. Favorite part: The topiary animals.

The Stand makes me think of sex. I finished it the week I lost my virginity. I can even say with a straight face that��The Stand is the reason I lost my virginity to the woman I did. Our initial conversation occurred because she was interested in what I was reading. Fun fact: I’ve never read the cut version and don’t intend to. Hemingford Home, Nebraska, Mother Abigail’s place of residence, is also where Ben Hanscom comes to rest after the events of It.��Favorite part: Other than losing my virginity? (Beep, beep, E.) Trashcan Man’s run in with The Kid. Now that was horrific, friends and neighbors.

The Dead Zone makes me think of Christopher Walken. But dig on this: I don’t like the movie (have never been able to finish it in one sitting, though I’ve seen the whole thing at��separate times) and care even less for the book (which I will probably never read again). Still, any time I see Walken, no matter the role, I think of Johnny Smith. Odd. I like Walken as an actor, and from what I can tell, he’s a cool cat, but he will never shake that role, at least not for me. Frank Dodd is mentioned frequently in Cujo. Some think the dog was possessed by Dodd’s ghost, but I have a bigger theory. Check my review of��Cujo for more information.��Favorite part: The carnival. The book goes downhill from there.

Firestarter makes me think of getting my driver’s license. Nothing else. ��It’s the book I was reading the week I took my driver’s test. Luckily it wasn’t��Christine, right? The Shop is mentioned in both The Langoliers and The Tommyknockers.��Favorite part: The battle at the farm. Kerblooey!

Cujo makes me think of 1989. I hadn’t read the book then, and wouldn’t read it for another decade or so, but in ’89 I was attacked by a dog. My leg was ripped open, and I spent a week in the hospital due to an allergic reaction to the antibiotic they gave me. Every time I read��Cujo I think of that. It’s never been a pleasant book for me for several reasons, and that’s one of the bigger reasons. I believe I’ve found a tie-in with this one and It. Read my review of Cujo (link at the end of this post)��for a more indepth analysis.��Favorite part: Any scene with the closet. Spooky shit.

The Gunslinger makes me think of my father. Dad was a fan of westerns. I once tried to read this book to him, but he made me stop. Said I was wasting his time. He couldn’t see the pictures in his head. I remember thinking that was one of the saddest things I’d ever heard. Was he completely devoid of imagination, my father? I don’t know. I do know that he was illiterate until the day he died. He could write two words: his name, and iH, spelled just like that “iH”, because that’s how his brain saw “Hi”. You see, my mother once tried to teach him how to write by helping him write a letter to his brother. “Hi” was as far as they got. Favorite part: The slow mutants. Jake!

Christine makes me think of my oldest sister. (I honestly don’t remember reading this one, but I’m sure I did, because I recall certain sections that aren’t in the movie, so we’ll chalk��this one up to having been read in my drug days.) My oldest sister is fourteen years older than me, and used to take me to all kinds of inappropriate movies. We saw Robocop together, and Total Recall, and, you guessed it, Christine. The movie version of��Christine��came out in 1983, but it played at the local drive-in in the early nineties. It was also the last movie Tammy and I saw together. She got lost in her own kids��after that. That doesn’t upset me, because, being a father, I understand. But I missed her then. Hell, I miss her now. I miss that time. I miss my sister. Favorite part: Arnie’s character. One of King’s best.

Pet Sematary makes me think of my son. I first read this novel when I was seventeen, but I wasn’t a father then. My son is now two (will be three in April of 2015), and I found myself thinking of him constantly during this last reread of��Pet Sematary. The obvious reason would be Gage’s character, but I think it has more to do with it than that. I firmly believe (judge me if you will) that I would have no problem using the Micmac��burial grounds if something ever happened to Chris (my son). Yes, even knowing how he’d come back, I’d still do it. I love my kids, and love makes you stupid. As far as I know, this is the first mention of the Orinco Oil Company. King uses this company again and again throughout the King-verse. Favorite part: The final page. So much for happy endings.

I will be finishing off each of these posts with this next segment, wherein I attempt to tie everything back to King’s Dark Tower series with conspiracy theories (created by myself) or actual facts King has verified:

Ring Around the Tower:

Spoilers throughout, possibly for every book King has ever written. You have been warned.

Fact: We’ll start with the second book King ever published,��‘Salem’s Lot, because this one is easy. Both Father Donald Callahan and the vampires are featured or mentioned in the last three Tower books. The plague ravaged landscape of��The Stand��is travelled in��Wizard and Glass, the fourth Dark Tower novel. And, of course,��The Gunslinger, is book one of Roland’s quest.

Theory: Buckle in, troops, this one’s gonna go deep.

Buried deep in the woods surrounding the town of Haven, Maine, is an alien spaceship. Haven is somewhere around Derry, and Derry is somewhere around Bangor. Basically, we’re talking central Maine, or round about, if you can dig it. Now here’s something to chew on:

The big inside joke between King fans is that everyone in Maine is psychic or has some kind of mental powers. Telekinesis, pyrokinesis, mind-reading abilities, adultery (kidding). What if they got all these wonderful abilities from the ship buried in Haven? In��The Tommyknockers, Andersen literally stumbles over this thing, which she then digs up, which then gives��the townsfolk odd powers. I cannot remember if King ever reveals the origins of the craft (when it arrived), but what if people have come across it before, and these people (ancestors of ancestors, maybe) passed along their abilities in their genetic codes. Here we find the reasoning behind so many mentally extraordinary folks in Maine. I also believe the Grays (the aliens in The Tommyknockers and Dreamcatcher)��are the Great Old Ones referenced in the Dark Tower series, meaning they’re the ones who created the technology that has began to crumble and decay when Roland finally starts his quest. Or, they are responsible for giving that technology to humans. With all that considered, I’ve successfully tied in Carrie, The Shining, The Dead Zone,��and��Firestarter into the world of the Dark Tower.

What about��Christine, Cujo,��and Pet Sematary, you ask? Easy. I think the entity known as��It is responsible for the events of these books. “Oh do tell,” I hear you saying. I plan to.

During the time frames of all three of these books, It is supposedly asleep. But what if It wasn’t asleep. What if��It used this time to project itself as a car to Arnie Cunningham, or the monster in Tad’s closet? Or,��what if Pennywise was the creature the Micmac��indians connected to their burial grounds, the wendigo? Can you dig it? What’s to say that It couldn’t change into a 1958 Plymouth Fury, or, at the very least, possess one. And if not It, then what about an entity like the one inside Blain the Train. Ah, now you’re seeing through the looking glass, aren’t you. King might only realize��the half of it, but I believe I’ve found the common thread.��Everything comes back to Mid-World. Everything. And I aim to prove it.

For a list of how his short stories tie in, please check out the reviews linked to the corresponding books below.

Novels:

Carrie��–��April 1974

‘Salem’s Lot��- October ��1975

The Shining��- January 1977

The Stand��- September 1978

The Dead Zone��- August 1979

Firestarter��- September 1980

Cujo��- September 1981

The Gunslinger��- June 1982

Christine��- April 1983

Pet Sematary��- November 1983

Short Story Collection:

Night Shift

Novella Collection:

Different Seasons

Shortest Novel:

Carrie

Personal Favorite:

Pet Sematary

1,000-Page��Novel:

The Stand

Dark Tower Novel:

The Gunslinger

(Note: There is rumor going around that King and Straub are working on the final Jack Sawyer novel, so I will be holding off on��The Talisman and��Black House until the third book is released. Also, I will be tackling��The Bachman Books at the end of Decade Four, due to reasons I will, for the time being, keep to myself. Finally, I will be reading his new novels and collections as they are released. What can I say, I’m a fanboy and refuse to wait. If you find any editing issues with these posts, my apologies. They are not professionally edited because I don’t plan on selling them. In other words, I cannot justify the cost. I have done my best, but no one can edit themselves with any consistency. No one.)

Authors, Goodreads is not a Marketing Tool

Even though the title of this blog post should be sufficient enough, I know a lot of some of you authors are simple-minded, so I will explain, in plain English, why Goodreads is not a place for your marketing schemes.

First and foremost, Goodreads is a place for readers to share books and interact with other readers. Friend requests are meant to connect like-minded individuals. They are not a way for you to build a fanbase. Attempting as much��makes you a douchenozzle. Discussion threads are meant for readers to interact, to discuss books and so forth. Basically, people talk about what they want to. It is not a place for you to post requests for reviews. This is known as being an entitled asshole because you obviously feel that other people’s spaces are your own, places where you can spread your graffiti. And yes, some graffiti is beautiful, but no matter how lovely your art is, if it’s unwanted or uninvited, it can be a very ugly thing.

Goodreads can be a place for authors to connect with their fans, but there are places for that. Places like Ask the Author, or groups dedicated to a specific author. You can host a giveaway on Goodreads, upload free samples, and even sell your work. Giveaways are��a great way to build a following, but only through the proper methods.

If you’re a writer, you should also be a reader. If you’re not, you’re going about this the wrong way. If you are an avid reader, try using the site as it’s meant to be used. Goodreads can be a lot of fun, and it’s a terrific place to meet people and make friends. Friends, not fans. Keep that in mind and you’ll do fine.

Finally, a personal message. Do not send me a friend request if you’re a Goodreads Marketing Guru or other such nonsense. To me, you’re no better than the drug dealer in the park.

E.

The Babadook Movie Review

Is��The Babadook the scariest movie I’ve seen? I’m not sure yet. It’s making me scour the web and my movie collection for a more terrifying experience, that’s for sure.

I will saw this much. It’s the most original take on the boogeyman that I’ve seen. It has one of the best third acts I’ve laid eyes on. And the only film I can compare it to is Kubrick’s version of��The Shining. But I’m not going to tell you why. You have to find out for yourself.

The premise is simple. Little kid sees monsters. Mom is worn out because terrified kid won’t let her sleep. Kid becomes a problem at school. Then, the questions begin. Is the Babadook real or imagined? Is this kid crazy? Is Momma batshit? Is someone stalking them? There’s much what-the-fuckery afoot, but it’s all the good kind.

The acting absolutely must be mentioned. The kid who plays Samuel sold his role. I bought that performance whole hog. The lady who plays his mother owns the final act. Bravo. Standing ovation, and all that jazz. I’ve not seen a performance that��good in a horror movie��in a long time. Everyone else serves their purposes in their roles, but the real stars of the show are the��mother and her son. This movie’s success rested on the believability of their plight, and I believed it. Hot damn, did I believe it.

Which brings me back around to scare factor. I cannot remember the last time I checked the shadows during a movie, or jumped at every little sound. The atmosphere of this film very nearly drips off the screen. And the more I think about it, the more I cannot think of a scarier film. I was yelling at the screen, and even chewing my thumb at one point.

The sounds production is equally amazing. There’s music when there should be music, and none when their should be none. There are things herein I’ve never heard before, and I watch a lot of horror movies. The score adds to the dread factor, and you’re always left satisfied by the build ups. There’s no sharp molested-violin��jump scares coming at you every five seconds.

In summation: I’ve heard the hipsters complaining that this film doesn’t live up to the hype. I’ve heard horror aficionados say it’s not really that scary. I’ve heard heavy-lidded morons say that��Paranormal Activity is a better film. I’m here to say, this movie scared the fuck out of me. No more fuck left. Gone. Yes, I watched it in the dark with headphones on, so I guess I cheated. But horror is meant to be an intimate experience. And like comedy, you have to be in the mood for it. Will the same lightning strike you? How the hell should I know? This is my experience, and I’m owning it. Everyone else can kiss my ass. Buy it. Watch it. Experience it.

Helping a Friend in Need

Hey, folks, E. here. Below you will find a message from a friend of mine. One of their fur babies recently came down ill. I was contacted by a mutual friend, and wanted to help anyway I could. So here’s a quick message and a couple photos to give you the details. No donation is too small. Thank you.

This is our dog, Lily. We need as many people as we can to help by making a small donation. Without expensive lab tests, blood transfusions and proper treatment, Lily may die.

UPDATE: To all who have donated so far, thank you so much for donating. But, with all of the testing, we still need to raise money for costs. If you would like to donate money to Lily’s medical costs, please send funds through Paypal to B. Tennis at toycoma84@aol.com. No amount I too small!!

Thank you to everyone who will take the time to read this and thank you for all your kind words, thoughts, prayers, and donations. No contribution is too small and my family and I would be eternally grateful. Thank you everyone.

B. Tennis

Best Reads of 2014

Not everything on this list was published this year. Not everything on this list will be to your liking. I’m not doing a Worst Of List this year, because who needs all that negativity, really? You can click on the title of each book to read my review. If you would like a rundown of all the books I read this year, click HERE.

With all that being said, let’s talk about the last year, shall we?

Best New Find��of 2014:

Grasshopper Jungle, by Andrew Smith. While I just started reading YA this year, Andrew Smith quickly became a favorite author of mine, one that I will autobuy in hardcover whenever he��drops a new release. I do believe his novel��Winger was a better all around book, but I read��Grasshopper Jungle��first and wouldn’t have sought out his other novels had it not made such an impression on me.

Best Short Story Collection of 2014:

Pieces, by Michael Crane. My review speaks for itself. I continued��think about the simple magic of��“The Gunslinger” and “Tragedy” long after I put this one down. Mike’s a friend of mine, but I sought him out after enjoying his drabble collections. In other words, I was a fan before I was a friend.

Top Three Novellas of 2014:

#3.��Crawlspace, by Evans Light.��This novella alone made me want to work with Evans Light. I read it back in Feburary, and when Evans approached me months later with an offer to be part of his anthology��Bad Apples, wild horses couldn’t have dragged me away. The ending of Crawlspace stands out in my mind, and every time I think about it, I shiver.

#2. Conduits, by Jennifer Loring. This book is beautifully written. Not often do I find a work of prose so visually striking and entertaining all at the same time. I think I highlighted no less than five lines per page, and I absolutely could not put the book��down. It’s also one that��I read while in the hospital for my last back surgery. I appreciate that it took my mind off the pain, and gave me an escape for a time.

#1.��The Hanover Block, by Gregor Xane. Yeah, Gregor has become a good friend of mine. Yes, we were featured together in��Bad Apples. But that doesn’t mean this dude isn’t the best thing to happen to Speculative Fiction in a long time. His imagination is unmatched in today’s market, and he has the writing chops to back up that statement. This man��can make any subject entertaining. Any of you who’ve read��The Hanover Block know how good he is. Seriously, folks, what other author could have pulled off that story line? And that cover? Point. Set. Match.

Top Five Novels��of 2014:

#5.��The Pilo Family Circus, by Will Elliott. I haven’t been able to erase this book from my mind, and I read it back in January. I even recall the names of all the clowns, but mostly I remember the fantastical epicocity of this author’s imagination. This is one of those novels best read if you know absolutely nothing about it.

#4.��The Gargoyle, by Andrew Davidson. Other than the narrator losing his penis at the beginning of this book, what I remember the most about it is the storybook feel. I’ll never forget the stories featuring��feudal Japan and the vikings. This is a book about love unconsummated. Love without sex. And while I enjoy bang-a-rang as much as the next chap, it’s nice to read a love story that doesn’t focus on the bumpity bump.

#3.��Revival, by Stephen King. While many people have disagreed with my review of this book, I stand by every statement I made. Revival��still lives with me, and I believe its ending is one of the best King has ever written. To go into more detail on why I believe so would be to tread into spoiler territory, and I won’t do that. Not here. Not with this book. If you’ve read it and would like more insight on why I feel the way I do, message or email me, and we will discuss it.

#2.��You, by Caroline Kepnes. This one’s placement shocked me probably as much as it will shock you, but Kepnes’s fantastically dark��novel about two broken souls deserves this spot. This book made me think differently about an entire style of writing, one I’d shit-panned since childhood. I honestly did not believe someone could write a piece of adult fiction in a second-person POV that I would enjoy. I fully admit I was wrong.

#1.��Animosity, by James Newman. I’m a self-proclaimed��horror writer. This book is about the stigma the rest of the literary world places on my beloved genre and those of us that write it.��Animosity being number one on this list was a no brainer. Writing about monsters does not make you one. Moreover, this book tackles mob mentality like none other I’ve read. Brilliant piece of affecting fiction.

And that’s that, folks. My year in review.��I have another year-end post coming entitled,��Stephen King: A Decade in Review (1974-1984), but that will be a few days coming. I look forward to reading all my friend’s��lists in the days and weeks to come. It’s been a blast reading with everyone this year.

Keep that TBR loaded!

Love,

E.

If you consider me a friend, please read this.

I was going to make this a Randomized Randomocity post then decided better. There’s nothing random about this. In fact,��I have a clear goal in mind.

I’ve been thinking. Quite a lot actually (and no, it didn’t hurt!). I’ve been thinking about gatekeepers and publishing delays and quality versus quantity, and a great deal of other publishing-world��things.

First an foremost, is it worth the hit to my wallet to go with a bigger publishing company. See, I make 70% on books that I independently publish and��an amount close to that when I go through my current publisher��(I cannot disclose how much due to contract reasons, but it’s a damn fair percentage). If I were to go with Random House or Penguin, or any of the other big houses, my royalties would be around the 25% mark, on average. Some give a bit higher, some a bit lower. You get the gist. And I’m sure you can see why I haven’t, to date, gone with a bigger house.

Now, let’s talk about the��freedoms being an indie gives me. I can say and do whatever I want. I can review and trash talk and be vulgar in public, and the only person I affect is myself. Basically, I can be ME. I like that. I like that a lot. Many of you follow me because I’m brutally honest and straight forward. I do not put on airs so that I can win people over, nor do I let negative criticism have any bearing on my emotions. But being open causes problems. The biggest problem is the acquiring of friends. I refuse to��barter for reviews, but I also know how people perceive some of the reviews I get. Most��of my reviews come from people I know here on Booklikes and Goodreads. I would even consider most of you good friends. I know as well as you do that your reviews are your honest opinions, but the world at large does not. They don’t know that many of you sought me out BECAUSE you liked my work. Also, to some, just reading the phrase “I know this author, but that doesn’t mean this review is biased” automatically means the review is biased. It’s unfortunate, but it’s true.

Because of this, I would like to ask that, if you know me personally (meaning we converse on a daily basis) that you no longer review my work if you like it. If you hate it, by all means, rip it apart. Lay down that one-star review and (hopefully) some snarky commentary. Of course, I have no control over what you do, but that doesn’t stop me from asking. Furthermore, I will no longer be giving out review copies of my work. When I publish through my publisher, I have no control over what they do. If they want to give out a thousand copies, so be it. This is because there are quite a few readers who believe that, since you received the book for free, you will give a biased review.

Next on the docket, I will no longer be actively searching for reviews of my work. Likewise, I will not be clicking the like buttons on reviews that I do stumble across. It should be known that I appreciate each and every one of you, the people who read and review my work, but these reviews aren’t for me. Or they shouldn’t be anyway. So just know that I do “like” them, even the negative ones, simply because you took the time to read it. Forevermore, let this post be me clicking that like button.

Now, back to the topic of going with a��bigger publisher. Is the royalty percentage worth being ignored by readers simply because I’m an independent author? That’s a fuck-all huge question. You see, there are a great deal of readers and reviewers who refuse to read indies because there are no gatekeepers in place, no one to stop indies��from clicking that publish button, no one to make sure there’s some semblance of quality in place. That’s unfortunate, but I understand it. Boy, do I understand. I’ve read plenty of unedited garbage��since Kindle started allowing every Joe Blow under the sun to sell his grocery list.��Still, if Amazon hadn’t allowed such, I wouldn’t have the career I do. Still, there are those that believe that my work is somehow lacking because I’m not published by Hachette or Harper Collins. This does not mean I will never publish independently ever again. It means I’m opening myself up to those readers who would otherwise ignore me.

Because of all this, I will be submitting my newest novels��A Crack in Autumn��(When it’s completed) and��Mono and Agora��(already done) to the big dogs for their consideration. This process takes years (3 to 5 years), so you’re likely not going to read another Edward Lorn book for quite some time. After��Cruelty��wraps, and��Pennies for the Damned comes out in the next few months, it might be as many as three to four years before you see anything longer than a short story from me, and even those will only be submitted to anthologies and contests.

Finally, my writing is changing, and I plan on evolving with it. And while everyone of you mean so much to me, I must start to distance myself. I will still be posting Blind Links and other nonsense, but I will no longer be leaving starred reviews (I’ll still review, I just won’t leave a star rating). I will still BE HERE. You can still talk to me and share with me and do all the things you’ve always done with me, and I will appreciate our friendship always, but I have to take a step back from the things that cause drama. I know this doesn’t mean that shit will not get started, but it does mean that I will not respond to it.

This is me… Edward Lorn… E., the same guy you’ve come to know in recent years, telling you that I want to see what I’m capable of. And that means change.

Thank you for reading.

E.

New BAY’S END Hardcover Options!

The fans have spoken and I have listened. Not everyone was a hundred percent thrilled with the cover reveal I did last week. Because of that, I have another option for you. If you pre-ordered the Signed Limited Edition Hardcover of��Bay’s End (featuring Fog Warning), you can now decide between Option A and Option B. Please email your choice to edwardlorn@gmail.com There are still copies left for sale. If you would like one,��please pick one of the following links:

Customers in the US , click HERE

All other countries, click HERE

If you’re a new customer, please put your cover choice in the notes section of your payment. Thank you for your support!

Option A:

Option B: