Matthew S. Wilson's Blog, page 2

Last minute Christmas gift?

Hey all - a couple of Melbourne readers have asked how they can grab a copy of The Devil's in the Detail in time for Christmas. There are still a couple of copies available at Readings in Carlton, the Hill of Content on Collins St and Avenue Bookstore in Albert Park. All are open today and tomorrow.

Additionally, I just wanted to beat the Christmas rush by thanking everyone for their support this year. Seeing such an incredibly positive response to my novel has been both humbling and exciting. Every recommendation, whether an online review, a Facebook 'like' or simply word of mouth, has been very much appreciated.

Wishing everyone a relaxed and fun time over the Christmas break. I'm spending it up in NSW with my family (and hope to get lots of writing done). Looking forward to 2013 and releasing the second novel. Glad to have you aboard for the journey :)

Matthew

PS: Competition closes tomorrow night! Winners announced in the New Year!

Hollywood buys the rights to The Devil's in the Detail!

Ok, so that was a lie. But it does beg the question: What if the film rights to The Devil's in the Detail are picked up by a Hollywood producer? Who would play the characters in the novel?

To explore this question, I'm excited to announce a competition, asking people to name the actors that they think should play the characters in the novel.

Click here for details on how to enter. Prizes include a signed copy of the novel, a signed copy of my next novel or your name casually mentioned in my second novel!

That's right, you (or your partner's, boss', sibling's, children's name) could be mentioned in my next novel. Share this message with as many people as you can, finish reading the novel and get casting today!

Good luck!

Feature Article: The Indie Spotlight

 The Indie Spotlight is one of the web's leading sites for showcasing independent authors. I'm thrilled that they've selected me for an interview. Click here to check it out.

 

eBook is launched

Amid all of the excitement of last week's official launch, I almost forget to mention that The Devil's in the Detail is now available an an eBook! So if you've given up on paper (whether to save the trees or simply to have another shiny gadget), you'll be pleased to know that the novel is now also available for the iPad/iPhone/iPod, the Kindle and the Kobo.

Click here to see where you can buy the eBook.

Q&A with Author

The Devil's in the Detail was officially launched at a function in Port Melbourne on Thursday 18th October. The night was a resounding success, with over 70 people attending and every last copy of the novel being sold! The night exceeded my expectations and I'd like to thank-you to everyone for their support. In particular I'd like to thank my good friend Rowan, who did a sterling job hosting the night. For those who were unable to attend, take the time watch a video of Rowan grilling me about the book. Forget about my budding writing career, what do we all think of his propsects as an interviewer? Move over Parky and Wossy!

Paperback Available

Two years after I started writing it, The Devil's in the Detail is now available in paperback from selected online book stores. Click here to purchase your copy now.

An enormous thank-you to everyone who has supported me in reaching this milestone. Please continue to show your support by liking me on Facebook and sharing the trailer with your friends, families and colleagues. You'd be amazed at the impact a small recommedation from you on Facebook can have at getting the message out.

For those readers who have disbanded the concept of paper altogether, fear not: The Devil's in the Detail shall be released as an eBook in coming weeks.

Welcome to Torwood Avenue

With the release of The Devil's in the Detail only two weeks away, things are super busy at the moment and I wanted to let everyone know what has been going on.

In truth, I probably could have had the novel released in September (as originally promised!) but I wanted to ensure that I had the right structure in place before it went 'live'. As a result, I'm very proud to announce the formation of my new publishing house, Torwood Avenue.

Torwood Avenue is Melbourne's smallest publishing house, boasting one author at present.

Me. (The Christmas party should be wild).

But as the Paul Kelly song goes 'From little things, big things grow'. When I decided to go down the path of self-publishing the novel, I thought it was going to be as simple as designing a cover in MS Paint and uploading a PDF to the Internet. How wrong was I? There are a ton of things that I have learned through the process including how to get a really quality front cover designed, how to format the interior of the book and how to create an ePUB book for use on Kindles, iPads and all things sparkly. Not to mention all of the contracts and business structures set-up. Not wanting to discourage anyone from doing it, but my hope is that in the future, Torwood Avenue will be able to help new emerging writers get their own work out into the world and leverage the structure I have in place.

Isn't this all a little airy-fairy? I mean I haven't even launched my own novel yet! Of course it is, but these things are best set-up right up front as opposed to later on in the piece. Torwood Avenue isn't currently accepting any submissions, but watch this space.

And look out for your invite to the Christmas Party.

The Devil's in the Detail is officially launched on 18th October. 'Like' me on Facebook for more details.

We shall endure

I'm not overly blessed with patience. Whether it be waiting for a film I REALLY want to see (and yes, I do mean the Dark Knight Rises) or waiting for a delicious home-cooked meal to finish cooking .... I generally hate to wait. So I think the waiting for The Devil's in the Detail to finally be released is possibly the hardest wait I've ever had to endure.

The good news is that all of the "post-production" is now finished, including the creation of the ePub file for eReaders (with special thanks to Rachel Amphlett for some tips). I've tested it on Kobo, iPad and Kindle and it looks great. I'm edging ever closer to the launch, so stay tuned for details.

In the mean time, I've tried to pour my energy into my second novel. Although I'm slightly behind my target of 10,000 words per week, I have reached my first milestone of 20,000 words. I feel like I've learned a lot from finishing a novel now, and am trying to learn from the mistakes I made last time. The single biggest difference is that this time I am not going to skip over any "hard" chapters or scenes to write. I did this last time in a bid to keep the words flowing, and ultimately it lead to me having to do so many re-writes to make it all fit together. Writing it chronologically can be tough, but my new novel's story is all about enduring.

So, like my characters, I too must endure.

Keeping up the momentum

Getting The Devil's in the Detail released feels very much like the ascent up a tall mountain. Just when you think you are at the top, there is invariably another peak to climb before arriving at the summit. I'm currently working on the 'business-y' side of releasing the book. I'm amazed at the complexity of it all, but I think I've found a way through the reams of paperwork. The good news is that I'll only need to do this once, so subsequent books will be far easier to finally release. It's all about momentum - just keep moving forward.

And it's in that spirit that I have started on my second novel. I have been tinkering on a few side projects this year in the background, but I'm pleased to have decided on what my next novel will be. The planning out of the story has gone well, and just this morning I was drinking coffee in my favourite cafe and getting plenty of writing done.

I've set myself a target of 10,000 words a week, and I'm pleased to report that I've already got 8,000 of those done this week. It's exciting to think that I should have a fairly strong draft ready by Christmas. I'll try and blog about my progress throughout the year, but what I can reveal is that this novel is completely separate to the first and tackles different themes. It's also decidedly Spanish-y.

Hasta luego, amigos.

Absolute (white) gold

With The Devil's in the Detail coming out in less than a month, many of my friends and colleagues have asked me about the actual process of self-publishing. There are several great articles on what's involved, but sadly many of them cater to an American audience. I reached out to the Australian Writers Marketplace website for advice, but again - came up blank.

Enter Rachel Amphlett.

Rachel is a Queensland-based author who published her first novel, White Gold, last year. After checking out her website, I e-mailed her on a whim for any insight she might be able to offer on self-publishing. What she came back with was absolute gold! Not only did she point me towards a print-on-demand service that was perfect for my needs, but in the past few months she's offered me invaluable advice on the marketing and launch of my book. It's fantastic to have someone to bounce ideas off.

For those that enjoy a good thriller, I can recommend Rachel's White Gold. It's an ecological thriller that plays out across the globe, with our heroes uncovering a murky plot that spans from London to Brisbane. If you are in need of an exciting action adventure, with a twist, then do yourself a favour and pick up a copy here.