T.P. Archie's Blog, page 4
July 27, 2013
Guide - Lulu editions
'Guide' is out for editing.
Final bits
I've permission to attribute traditional sayings and proverbs to Idries Shah's:
Caravan Of Dreams
A Perfumed Scorpion
The Way of the Sufi
This is good, particularly as the material relating to Mongol slaughter in Khwarezm wasn't knocked back.
AI feedback should be interesting
Final bits
I've permission to attribute traditional sayings and proverbs to Idries Shah's:
Caravan Of Dreams
A Perfumed Scorpion
The Way of the Sufi
This is good, particularly as the material relating to Mongol slaughter in Khwarezm wasn't knocked back.
AI feedback should be interesting
July 25, 2013
Copy-edit 3
Copy-edit is done.
Phew!
Guide A Guide to First Contact really is looking better. Much better. Many thanks to Stephen Cashmore who was fantastically patient with me and saw where it could be improved. The Kindle version should be up in a week or so. In the meantime, I'm going to run 'Guide' through a couple of readers.
More on that later; now I'm buzzing. I'm part way through formatting for Lulu.*
Recap time. What's Guide about? Mr. Cashmore likened it to Cormac McCarthy's The Road with the proviso that Guide tells the reader how things went bad.
Here's a synopsis:
Four decades ago, aliens made contact with humanity. All mankind’s problems sorted, right? Think again. Everything starts to go wrong. Super-powers fall out and there are massive unexplained technological failures. Then an epidemic sweeps the planet. Its symptoms are an incurable degenerative illness which turns victims into savage sub-human brutes. No-one knows where it comes from – most nations are busy just trying to survive. Even worse, the aliens blame the human authorities. The Earth is put under quarantine and for good measure, an Interdict is put into place.
It’s 2060 now. Western civilisation crumbled ages ago. A new and mysterious power controls what’s left of the world – the Mandat Culturel. It came into being when the Earth was first contacted by aliens and it controls access to advanced technology. All that remains of the once mighty United States is the Petits États, centred on New England. Outside of there, civilisation survives only in Enclaves. But the real power brokers are the confederation of Sioux Nations, headed up by Wahchinksapa; a former intelligence officer. He jockeys to keep his people from the control of the Mandat Culturel.
Into this mix comes Triste. Triste is a bounty hunter and has all the latest ordnance. His contracts take him to the ruined cities. Big ones are best so he spends a lot of time in FUA One; the former urban area of New York. His contracts are dangerous but they pay well; besides, when the cities were abandoned a lot of loot was left behind....
Without realising it, he is sucked into the agendas of Star Beings. These creatures are older than humanity. They are aloof and unsympathetic to human affairs; and they have a plan.
Hey. That's enough for now. I gotta format.
Find Stephen here: www.cashmoreeditorial.com/
*Comparing Lulu with CreateSpace
Interestingly Firedance books had CreateSpace hard copy samples and I have to say they're... hmmmm - let's be diplomatic... not that good. Given the farrago to set up a book in CreateSpace, Amazon's offering just isn't an attractive proposition.
Phew!
Guide A Guide to First Contact really is looking better. Much better. Many thanks to Stephen Cashmore who was fantastically patient with me and saw where it could be improved. The Kindle version should be up in a week or so. In the meantime, I'm going to run 'Guide' through a couple of readers.
More on that later; now I'm buzzing. I'm part way through formatting for Lulu.*
Recap time. What's Guide about? Mr. Cashmore likened it to Cormac McCarthy's The Road with the proviso that Guide tells the reader how things went bad.
Here's a synopsis:
Four decades ago, aliens made contact with humanity. All mankind’s problems sorted, right? Think again. Everything starts to go wrong. Super-powers fall out and there are massive unexplained technological failures. Then an epidemic sweeps the planet. Its symptoms are an incurable degenerative illness which turns victims into savage sub-human brutes. No-one knows where it comes from – most nations are busy just trying to survive. Even worse, the aliens blame the human authorities. The Earth is put under quarantine and for good measure, an Interdict is put into place.
It’s 2060 now. Western civilisation crumbled ages ago. A new and mysterious power controls what’s left of the world – the Mandat Culturel. It came into being when the Earth was first contacted by aliens and it controls access to advanced technology. All that remains of the once mighty United States is the Petits États, centred on New England. Outside of there, civilisation survives only in Enclaves. But the real power brokers are the confederation of Sioux Nations, headed up by Wahchinksapa; a former intelligence officer. He jockeys to keep his people from the control of the Mandat Culturel.
Into this mix comes Triste. Triste is a bounty hunter and has all the latest ordnance. His contracts take him to the ruined cities. Big ones are best so he spends a lot of time in FUA One; the former urban area of New York. His contracts are dangerous but they pay well; besides, when the cities were abandoned a lot of loot was left behind....
Without realising it, he is sucked into the agendas of Star Beings. These creatures are older than humanity. They are aloof and unsympathetic to human affairs; and they have a plan.
Hey. That's enough for now. I gotta format.
Find Stephen here: www.cashmoreeditorial.com/
*Comparing Lulu with CreateSpace
Interestingly Firedance books had CreateSpace hard copy samples and I have to say they're... hmmmm - let's be diplomatic... not that good. Given the farrago to set up a book in CreateSpace, Amazon's offering just isn't an attractive proposition.
June 30, 2013
Copy-editing part 2
The copy-edit on A Guide to First Contact is all but done. I expect to busy for the best part of July putting it all back into shape.
This has been a highly valuable experience and well worth the expense.
Roll on August.
This has been a highly valuable experience and well worth the expense.
Roll on August.
June 11, 2013
Systematic data collection for NSA purposes.
There are parts of the US administration who prefer to do what they do with no discussion. Disconcerting them (which includes bringing their activities into the public domain) can be a career destroyer. The story as publicized, is of an IT contractor who, noting the scale of data being requested by the NSA, wrestled with his conscience, and drew the conclusion that the average person would want to be aware of this secret enterprise.
What's the issue here? Is it about precisely targeted data mining with no collateral damage? or is it systematic data mapping of every US citizen putting Joe Public further under the thumb of petty officialdom?
Whatever it is, it's been divisive for those parts of the press that hold themselves up as espousing liberal values. I had a peep at several leading papers to see how this played out. This took me to The Guardian (UK), The Independent (UK), The New York Times (US) and The Telegraph (UK).
The Guardian is close to those that demand explanations. Today's headline is:
Obama under pressure from around world to explain secret NSA surveillance tactics.
This story is at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/...
The Independent takes a similar stance in:
Assange praises 'hero' as NSA whistleblower told to leave Hong Kong hideaway.
This is at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/wor...
Whereas the New York Times has:
U.S. Preparing Charges Against Leaker of Data
which is at: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/11/us/...
After their handling of the Julian Assange leaks, I hardly expected the New York Times to put on a show of condign obeisance; but this is closer to the nuanced approach of...
The Telegraph who run with
Why shouldn't our spies use all this data?
which is at: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/ben...
I bet George Orwell or Robert Heinlein would have loved this.
What's the issue here? Is it about precisely targeted data mining with no collateral damage? or is it systematic data mapping of every US citizen putting Joe Public further under the thumb of petty officialdom?
Whatever it is, it's been divisive for those parts of the press that hold themselves up as espousing liberal values. I had a peep at several leading papers to see how this played out. This took me to The Guardian (UK), The Independent (UK), The New York Times (US) and The Telegraph (UK).
The Guardian is close to those that demand explanations. Today's headline is:
Obama under pressure from around world to explain secret NSA surveillance tactics.
This story is at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/...
The Independent takes a similar stance in:
Assange praises 'hero' as NSA whistleblower told to leave Hong Kong hideaway.
This is at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/wor...
Whereas the New York Times has:
U.S. Preparing Charges Against Leaker of Data
which is at: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/11/us/...
After their handling of the Julian Assange leaks, I hardly expected the New York Times to put on a show of condign obeisance; but this is closer to the nuanced approach of...
The Telegraph who run with
Why shouldn't our spies use all this data?
which is at: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/ben...
I bet George Orwell or Robert Heinlein would have loved this.
June 5, 2013
Firedance
Met Jae Erwin from Firedance Books yesterday. She gave a good run down of the publishing process from author's draft through beta read, restructure and copy-edit. Now I know why traditional publishing takes 2 years. I've got a copy of The Firedance Anthology. This is a collection of short stories. Having read the first tale, I'm looking forward to more.
The Firedance Anthology can be found at: http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/190925...
Firedance are at http://www.firedancebooks.com
and https://www.facebook.com/firedancebooks
It is is a publishing cooperative.
Firedance have connections with WriterLot who have a worldwide writer membership. WriterLot put up new short stories of all genres on a regular basis. These are free to read. Some are episodal and at least one has been fleshed out into a full book. (What Roger Zelazny would call a fix-up).
WriterLot are at writerlot.net
If your fiction buds need new tastes, there's plenty there.
I've started work on Asimov 3 a working title that might have other meanings.
Brant is still in progress.
I am still wading through the mountains of carnage and rivers of blood in Juvaini's Genghis Khan: The History Of The World Conqueror
The Firedance Anthology can be found at: http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/190925...
Firedance are at http://www.firedancebooks.com
and https://www.facebook.com/firedancebooks
It is is a publishing cooperative.
Firedance have connections with WriterLot who have a worldwide writer membership. WriterLot put up new short stories of all genres on a regular basis. These are free to read. Some are episodal and at least one has been fleshed out into a full book. (What Roger Zelazny would call a fix-up).
WriterLot are at writerlot.net
If your fiction buds need new tastes, there's plenty there.
I've started work on Asimov 3 a working title that might have other meanings.
Brant is still in progress.
I am still wading through the mountains of carnage and rivers of blood in Juvaini's Genghis Khan: The History Of The World Conqueror
June 1, 2013
Copy-editing
I've received a copy-edit proposal for A Guide to First Contact which I can't turn down. The copy-editing will be done by Stephen Cashmore. He is a professional proof-reader and copy-editor and is a member of a number of relevant bodies including the Society for Editors and Proofreaders, the Glasgow Editor's Network, and the Glasgow SF Writers Circle.
I'm convinced that this will make it a better book and while this is underway, I plan to remove the book from my author page. It will take about a month.
I'm convinced that this will make it a better book and while this is underway, I plan to remove the book from my author page. It will take about a month.
May 23, 2013
Enough Messing About Already.
Today I had the misfortune to fall foul of a Kindle publishing glitch. This is a strange condition where the symptoms are: you repeat a pattern of activities without achieving anything.
The Kindle process wouldn't publish my book. And the detail? It's all here in the email I sent to Amazon KDP
Will Kindle publish my book? Publishing Rights
I've a Kindle problem.
Having submitted my book to Kindle as normal - this is my fifth Kindle book - several hours later I received an 'Alert from Amazon KDP' which said:
+Hello+
+We have reviewed your book and need you to take an additional step to confirm that you hold the publishing rights.+
+A Guide to First Contact by Archie, TP (AUTHOR) (ID:3622982)+
+1. If you hold the electronic publishing rights for this book, please proceed to the “Rights & Pricing” submission page from your Bookshelf and resubmit your book for publishing (no response is required). Instructions on how to do this are listed below....+
I won't repeat the rest of the message as doubtless you've seen it before - but until yesterday, I hadn't.
When I followed up the Alert, I found that Amazon Kindle had put my book into draft status. It was also greyed out. After several hours I was able to follow up the alert. I couldn't find anything wrong, so I resubmitted.
Several hours later Amazon KDP sent me an identical Alert.
So I waited and followed up.
Several hours later Amazon KDP sent me a third identical Alert.
Am I stuck in a KDP data glitch?
Do Amazon-KDP think it's not my book?
I've tons of blog info about this project which I started in 2009.
Here's a Lulu address to prove the book exists: www.lulu.com/content/7630382
There's details on this at my author address on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
I'm searchable:
Word Press - http://tparchie.wordpress.com/writing/
The Daily Telegraph - http://my.telegraph.co.uk/archietp/
Now, a problem.
I've been asked by the 'Future Wastelands Group' on Goodreads to provide an e-version of 'A Guide to First Contact', to make it available for the group reads in June. I told them that I would and under normal circumstances it would be done by now. Obviously that's not the case and I've no idea what the problem is.
This is frustrating, the publicity and feedback from a group read would be invaluable - it might even provoke readers into buying my book - yet it's beginning to look like I can't rely on Kindle.
I've checked the boards and can't find answers. So what's happening?
Happy so say they fixed it, though I never learned the cause of the glitch.
The Kindle process wouldn't publish my book. And the detail? It's all here in the email I sent to Amazon KDP
Will Kindle publish my book? Publishing Rights
I've a Kindle problem.
Having submitted my book to Kindle as normal - this is my fifth Kindle book - several hours later I received an 'Alert from Amazon KDP' which said:
+Hello+
+We have reviewed your book and need you to take an additional step to confirm that you hold the publishing rights.+
+A Guide to First Contact by Archie, TP (AUTHOR) (ID:3622982)+
+1. If you hold the electronic publishing rights for this book, please proceed to the “Rights & Pricing” submission page from your Bookshelf and resubmit your book for publishing (no response is required). Instructions on how to do this are listed below....+
I won't repeat the rest of the message as doubtless you've seen it before - but until yesterday, I hadn't.
When I followed up the Alert, I found that Amazon Kindle had put my book into draft status. It was also greyed out. After several hours I was able to follow up the alert. I couldn't find anything wrong, so I resubmitted.
Several hours later Amazon KDP sent me an identical Alert.
So I waited and followed up.
Several hours later Amazon KDP sent me a third identical Alert.
Am I stuck in a KDP data glitch?
Do Amazon-KDP think it's not my book?
I've tons of blog info about this project which I started in 2009.
Here's a Lulu address to prove the book exists: www.lulu.com/content/7630382
There's details on this at my author address on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
I'm searchable:
Word Press - http://tparchie.wordpress.com/writing/
The Daily Telegraph - http://my.telegraph.co.uk/archietp/
Now, a problem.
I've been asked by the 'Future Wastelands Group' on Goodreads to provide an e-version of 'A Guide to First Contact', to make it available for the group reads in June. I told them that I would and under normal circumstances it would be done by now. Obviously that's not the case and I've no idea what the problem is.
This is frustrating, the publicity and feedback from a group read would be invaluable - it might even provoke readers into buying my book - yet it's beginning to look like I can't rely on Kindle.
I've checked the boards and can't find answers. So what's happening?
Happy so say they fixed it, though I never learned the cause of the glitch.
May 22, 2013
All In Time
Completed All In Time today. Comes to a whopping great 340 words.
Toying around with Goodreads trivia quiz and came up with Naming Convention for New Alien Species
Toying around with Goodreads trivia quiz and came up with Naming Convention for New Alien Species
May 19, 2013
A Guide to First Contact
Started preparing a Kindle edition of Guide yesterday (18/05/13) - details at end of this post. Thanks to Nicholas Smith, author of The Biomass Revolution, for the heads up.
:-)
As I'm talking shop, I might as well get the easy hits on record.
Another short story out of the way: After School comes to 2,750 words. Theme dystopic; a future Britain in which public sector has been totally shut down. The narrator is a ex-teacher who, like many former state workers, walks the roads from town to town looking for work.
Book One of Brant, a Fantasy is in draft. This is Mythic / Heroic Fantasy. Estonian (Estonian is in my make-up) is used to deal with the mythic elements.
Here's an intro:
The valley realm of Flotyn Bryn-i-Gwyn, has fallen under the heel of the augeruch. So away Brant, away. Flee West Caulder, flee your home for it is now conquered. You cannot return until you have more strength. Where now? The lowlands of Lagelan are prosperous but clannish. Go join a caravan as a hand for hire. Travel through the northland steppes, to the mountain holds of the mughite where the Khaifite in exile dwells, to the fabled city of Hrim and further, even unto the lands of the Khaif. Build your contacts and gain experience.
The bloodline of the Kingdom of Elinor - the last daughter of a murdered king - is to be sold off cheap. Bands of mercenaries circle. An outlander approaches....
Book One is titled: Mercenaries. It sets the themes and characters and is 19,000 words which equates to about a quarter of a novel. There's a long way to go yet.
Kindled up a version of this, which is currently out for feedback.
The rest of this post is about the mechanics of html for Kindle. Gods preserve us from writers who want to hand code to Kindle!!
With Guide it's one file per chapter...
then I discover that diacritics, quite common in non-English languages, are a big no-no for file names used by Kindle.
This affected:
façades.thm
la belle époque.htm
émmeteur passif
Now fixed. No impact on actual text. Full narrative now in mobi file form - i.e. the story is done.
Still to do:
The contents need to be split into Part I, Part II, Part III - reflecting the fact that Guide is a trilogy.
Add synopses for Part II and Part III
As Guide has multiple story lines, I'm going to add a Story Arc section at the end. This will show / link to where major characters appear in the narrative.
:-)
As I'm talking shop, I might as well get the easy hits on record.
Another short story out of the way: After School comes to 2,750 words. Theme dystopic; a future Britain in which public sector has been totally shut down. The narrator is a ex-teacher who, like many former state workers, walks the roads from town to town looking for work.
Book One of Brant, a Fantasy is in draft. This is Mythic / Heroic Fantasy. Estonian (Estonian is in my make-up) is used to deal with the mythic elements.
Here's an intro:
The valley realm of Flotyn Bryn-i-Gwyn, has fallen under the heel of the augeruch. So away Brant, away. Flee West Caulder, flee your home for it is now conquered. You cannot return until you have more strength. Where now? The lowlands of Lagelan are prosperous but clannish. Go join a caravan as a hand for hire. Travel through the northland steppes, to the mountain holds of the mughite where the Khaifite in exile dwells, to the fabled city of Hrim and further, even unto the lands of the Khaif. Build your contacts and gain experience.
The bloodline of the Kingdom of Elinor - the last daughter of a murdered king - is to be sold off cheap. Bands of mercenaries circle. An outlander approaches....
Book One is titled: Mercenaries. It sets the themes and characters and is 19,000 words which equates to about a quarter of a novel. There's a long way to go yet.
Kindled up a version of this, which is currently out for feedback.
The rest of this post is about the mechanics of html for Kindle. Gods preserve us from writers who want to hand code to Kindle!!
With Guide it's one file per chapter...
then I discover that diacritics, quite common in non-English languages, are a big no-no for file names used by Kindle.
This affected:
façades.thm
la belle époque.htm
émmeteur passif
Now fixed. No impact on actual text. Full narrative now in mobi file form - i.e. the story is done.
Still to do:
The contents need to be split into Part I, Part II, Part III - reflecting the fact that Guide is a trilogy.
Add synopses for Part II and Part III
As Guide has multiple story lines, I'm going to add a Story Arc section at the end. This will show / link to where major characters appear in the narrative.
May 8, 2013
Writing Day
Just a couple of updates.
Contrasts.
How the BBC handled the story of Stuart Hall compares strangely with their take on Tory MP Nigel Evans, until you realise that Stuart Hall is an ex-employee of the BBC.
Farewell Alex Ferguson.
David Moyes has long been touted as a potential replacement, here Up North, he only needed to serve sufficient other club time to prove his worth. If the job comes to him, I doubt he'll find Old Trafford a bed of roses, just as I doubt the Premier League will ever again be dominated by one club to such an extent. Let's see what the Red Devil share price punters think.
Now contrasts:
Alex Ferguson won two European Cups with Aberdeen before Man Utd.
David Moyes took Preston NE from the third to the second tier of English Football. Oh and he kept Everton in the Premier League - looks like it's a shoo-in.
Work in progress
Book one of my epic-heroic fantasy is going well and is now almost complete at 16,000 words. Once it is (it may get to 20k) I will break for PRINCE2. PRINCE2 is not writing but it should earn money - another contrast :-).
Part way through 'Ala-ad-Din 'Ata-Malik JUVAINI's 'A History of the World Conqueror'.
Sent Writing Day off to Asimovs. Draft version here.
Contrasts.
How the BBC handled the story of Stuart Hall compares strangely with their take on Tory MP Nigel Evans, until you realise that Stuart Hall is an ex-employee of the BBC.
Farewell Alex Ferguson.
David Moyes has long been touted as a potential replacement, here Up North, he only needed to serve sufficient other club time to prove his worth. If the job comes to him, I doubt he'll find Old Trafford a bed of roses, just as I doubt the Premier League will ever again be dominated by one club to such an extent. Let's see what the Red Devil share price punters think.
Now contrasts:
Alex Ferguson won two European Cups with Aberdeen before Man Utd.
David Moyes took Preston NE from the third to the second tier of English Football. Oh and he kept Everton in the Premier League - looks like it's a shoo-in.
Work in progress
Book one of my epic-heroic fantasy is going well and is now almost complete at 16,000 words. Once it is (it may get to 20k) I will break for PRINCE2. PRINCE2 is not writing but it should earn money - another contrast :-).
Part way through 'Ala-ad-Din 'Ata-Malik JUVAINI's 'A History of the World Conqueror'.
Sent Writing Day off to Asimovs. Draft version here.
