A.J. Race's Blog, page 35
March 3, 2012
Not Irony but something like it
We as a people don't really understand the true definition of irony... we read it over and over again but yet still use it incorrectly. This isn't a post about literary terms or their uses, frankly I don't feel that I'm really qualified to argue the subject one way or another because I'm not an English major or English teacher... I mention it only because... I'm about to use the word Ironic... incorrectly. And I know that ahead of time.
I'm not a patient person... you can ask anyone who knows me and chances are they know I'm the most impatient person they've ever met. I don't typically buy things online for the sheer fact of.. I am so impatient that the waiting period drives me bat-shit crazy. So the fact that this week alone I was waiting for, a new necklace I bought on Amazon, Paperback copies of my book, hardcover copies AND my business cards it's easy to see why this week was one that drove me around the bend. And actually I've been waiting for the necklace, hardcover and paperbacks since February 21st. Today the last of my items finally arrived, after almost a week of me stalking UPS, Fed-Ex and USPS tracking respectively.
Why I find this.... not ironic but something like it... is because a lot of my readers, are incredibly impatient themselves.
Less than a day after finishing the first book one of my best friends was already wanting the sequel. A day! Technically.... this is not ironic in the textbook definition of the word... but if you think about how we've sort of re-coined the term it's actually the new definition of irony. As impatient as I am... for the first time in my life I'm having to deal with people more impatient than myself... if that's even possible.
And while that may not be "ironic" it certainly feels hysterical.
I'm not a patient person... you can ask anyone who knows me and chances are they know I'm the most impatient person they've ever met. I don't typically buy things online for the sheer fact of.. I am so impatient that the waiting period drives me bat-shit crazy. So the fact that this week alone I was waiting for, a new necklace I bought on Amazon, Paperback copies of my book, hardcover copies AND my business cards it's easy to see why this week was one that drove me around the bend. And actually I've been waiting for the necklace, hardcover and paperbacks since February 21st. Today the last of my items finally arrived, after almost a week of me stalking UPS, Fed-Ex and USPS tracking respectively.
Why I find this.... not ironic but something like it... is because a lot of my readers, are incredibly impatient themselves.
Less than a day after finishing the first book one of my best friends was already wanting the sequel. A day! Technically.... this is not ironic in the textbook definition of the word... but if you think about how we've sort of re-coined the term it's actually the new definition of irony. As impatient as I am... for the first time in my life I'm having to deal with people more impatient than myself... if that's even possible.
And while that may not be "ironic" it certainly feels hysterical.
March 2, 2012
Inspiration
Recently I learned something that... really touched my heart. Most of you who have followed me for a while will probably know already that I openly credit J.K.Rowling and Harry Potter for inspiring me to want to become an author. In fact I think if you look at authors over the years you can ask them what made them want to become a writer and chances are it was reading another author's book.
I have always aspired to be an inspiration to others, particularly to readers who are going through a difficult time in their lives. So when my mother told me about one of her manager's son's who was inspired by me to write a book himself I have to say I was deeply honored. It's surreal to think that a person would want to chose this path because of yourself but it's also very exciting and an incredible honor. This is a tough and often times unforgiving industry that isn't always the easiest to break into. But when I decided to finally take a risk and self publish I admit I secretly wondered whether or not I wasn't jumping the gun. I wondered if I shouldn't just stick it out and try for a traditional publisher (again). But what I ultimately decided was that sometimes in order to get things done, you have to be willing to stick your neck out there. If there's one thing Oprah's Life Class has taught me it's to not be afraid of failing because failing is always an opportunity to learn something. That doesn't mean that you won't still sometimes be scared of things going wrong. That's life. Of course you're going to be scared, there'd be a bigger problem if you weren't. But the point is not to let the fear take you down. Not to let the fear devour you.
I have always aspired to be an inspiration to others, particularly to readers who are going through a difficult time in their lives. So when my mother told me about one of her manager's son's who was inspired by me to write a book himself I have to say I was deeply honored. It's surreal to think that a person would want to chose this path because of yourself but it's also very exciting and an incredible honor. This is a tough and often times unforgiving industry that isn't always the easiest to break into. But when I decided to finally take a risk and self publish I admit I secretly wondered whether or not I wasn't jumping the gun. I wondered if I shouldn't just stick it out and try for a traditional publisher (again). But what I ultimately decided was that sometimes in order to get things done, you have to be willing to stick your neck out there. If there's one thing Oprah's Life Class has taught me it's to not be afraid of failing because failing is always an opportunity to learn something. That doesn't mean that you won't still sometimes be scared of things going wrong. That's life. Of course you're going to be scared, there'd be a bigger problem if you weren't. But the point is not to let the fear take you down. Not to let the fear devour you.
"Courage is not the absence of fear, rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear." ––Ambrose Redmoon
February 28, 2012
Jack of all Trades
If you've read any kind of books on self publishing (and I suggest that you do). Somewhere you'll have come across the sentence: "self published authors must be a jack of all trades". You have to learn marketing, and design, how to layout your book and do your own cover, be your own publicist and if you don't have one your own editor, accountant, web designer, social networker and all around badass.
There's a lot that goes into this process. And if you're not prepared it can be overwhelming. Hell even if you are prepared it's overwhelming. There's a million different things to consider, and unfortunately things will happen that you simply cannot plan for.
For instance, I've been working on getting my ebook onto the iBookstore through apple, quite unsuccessfully I might add. In large part due to the fact that they insist my metadata title match up with the title on my cover. Which I changed, but for some reason Apple still isn't accepting. (Suffice it to say, I think I'm going to just use iBooksAuthor for this one, even if it is mostly for textbooks, for the sheer fact of –– this process is driving me a little crazy. Barnes and Noble and Kindle both accepted my book as is. No meta data problems, nothing... but this is a rant for another post)
The point to all of this, is that when it comes to self publishing, you sort of have to expect the unexpected.
I for instance didn't anticipate some of the coloring issues on the cover... or that wanting to put my hardcover on Amazon would require a ridiculous markup that would make it almost un-buyable for any perspective purchaser, and I still would not make even 10% of the cover price. Royalties and how much money they say you're going to make and how much you actually get paid per book are sort of two different things, or at least... according to my calculator.
There's a lot that goes into this process. And if you're not prepared it can be overwhelming. Hell even if you are prepared it's overwhelming. There's a million different things to consider, and unfortunately things will happen that you simply cannot plan for.
For instance, I've been working on getting my ebook onto the iBookstore through apple, quite unsuccessfully I might add. In large part due to the fact that they insist my metadata title match up with the title on my cover. Which I changed, but for some reason Apple still isn't accepting. (Suffice it to say, I think I'm going to just use iBooksAuthor for this one, even if it is mostly for textbooks, for the sheer fact of –– this process is driving me a little crazy. Barnes and Noble and Kindle both accepted my book as is. No meta data problems, nothing... but this is a rant for another post)
The point to all of this, is that when it comes to self publishing, you sort of have to expect the unexpected.
I for instance didn't anticipate some of the coloring issues on the cover... or that wanting to put my hardcover on Amazon would require a ridiculous markup that would make it almost un-buyable for any perspective purchaser, and I still would not make even 10% of the cover price. Royalties and how much money they say you're going to make and how much you actually get paid per book are sort of two different things, or at least... according to my calculator.
February 26, 2012
Interior Designer of Books
This might sound lazy but... I kinda think next time around I'd rather have someone design the interior of my book for me. The reason is simple... I've done it myself before. I know that I can do it and I know how to do it and... quite honestly. I'm exhausted. Knowing that you can do something and wanting to do it again... it's a tough call.
Of course having said that... I know I'll end up doing the interior of my book again for the simple fact that I'm an OCD control freak who if I let one more person do something that I can't have some control over might lose my goddamn mind.
I don't really control the cover beyond the extent of telling the designer what I want it to look like, and I don't have control over the book while it's with my editor so... there isn't a whole hell of a lot I have control over anymore... which makes me wonder... how much worse would I be had I gone the traditional route?
Let's face it, I'm a serious SERIOUS control freak. I can freely admit the ONLY reason I even put my book into InDesign to revamp the interior was because I needed something I could control. I needed to feel like there was something I could have some sort of control over so I didn't go insane.
I'm taking a psychology class, believe me I know how fucking insane I am. I get it. But actually I'm dealing with it. Let's be honest... had I not decided to throw everything into InDesign there's a very good chance I would have been driving everyone insane with questions of when is this going to be done or when is that going to be done. Having control over some part of the book keeps me some semblance of sane. And for what it's worth I think it was worth it to have that control. I love the way the book turned out... and ultimately we made it on time.
Of course having said that... I know I'll end up doing the interior of my book again for the simple fact that I'm an OCD control freak who if I let one more person do something that I can't have some control over might lose my goddamn mind.
I don't really control the cover beyond the extent of telling the designer what I want it to look like, and I don't have control over the book while it's with my editor so... there isn't a whole hell of a lot I have control over anymore... which makes me wonder... how much worse would I be had I gone the traditional route?
Let's face it, I'm a serious SERIOUS control freak. I can freely admit the ONLY reason I even put my book into InDesign to revamp the interior was because I needed something I could control. I needed to feel like there was something I could have some sort of control over so I didn't go insane.
I'm taking a psychology class, believe me I know how fucking insane I am. I get it. But actually I'm dealing with it. Let's be honest... had I not decided to throw everything into InDesign there's a very good chance I would have been driving everyone insane with questions of when is this going to be done or when is that going to be done. Having control over some part of the book keeps me some semblance of sane. And for what it's worth I think it was worth it to have that control. I love the way the book turned out... and ultimately we made it on time.
February 25, 2012
About a Fourth
Remember last week when I mentioned that a lot of whether or not I would be able to write a fourth/fifth depended greatly on the third book. It occurred to me that I neglected to mention that it also greatly depends on my desire to write a fourth. See while it does very much depend on the third book, a lot of whether or not I decide to continue and make this into a series, rather than just a trilogy, actually depends on how far I want to take this book. A lot of people would think that I would want to continue it as far as I can, but having spent as much time with the story and characters as I have, I'm pretty sure that by the end of three books I will have taken the story and the characters as far as I can or as much as I need too. It's complicated mostly because I only have one and a half books written. I know where things will go and how they will end up, but I don't really know the heart of the last two books because I haven't written them. Even knowing the major plot points I don't have the minor details down and so there's a lot that could happen between plot points that could drastically change the outcome of whether or not I decide to continue on with a fourth or fifth book.
