James Noll's Blog, page 3
April 7, 2017
Indie Publishing Guide Tip #1: Read widely and all the time
One day, in the summer of my fifth grade year, my parents sent away to visit Grandma Francis.
"Your grandmother hasn't seen you in a while," my mother explained. "She wants to get to know you better."
I was supposed to spend one week with Grandma Francis in New Jersey, which was great, but about half way through the week, my parents called and explained that since my other set of grandparents (my dad's parents) lived in Pennsylvania, she was going to drop me off with them for another week-long visit.
So I think I'm justified in saying that they were just trying to get rid of me.
Grandma and Grandpa Noll were still working back then, so essentially I stayed in their house until they came home. Grandma Noll left me with a stack of books to read during the day when they were gone, most of them westerns, but I ended up finding a series of mysteries that I ripped through. The first one had something to do with a murder on a boat. There was a knife plunged into the deck, a dead body, several suspects, etc . . . . Whatever. It worked. I was hooked.
Not that I needed very much encouragement to read. I come from a family of readers. My mother read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to me when I was too young to do it by myself, and when I could read, I devoured everything I could get my hands on. Dr. Seuss led to Lloyd Alexander, then The Hobbit, then The Lord of the Rings. When I was in ninth grade, my brother introduced me to Stephen King, and I ripped through everything he'd written, from Carrie to The Talisman. (This was the 80's though, so I didn't do it strictly in that order. I started with Night Shift, then moved on to Firestarter, then to Pet Semetery, The Bachman Books, Skelton Crew, The Dead Zone, etc . . . .) The Stand was a revelation, and my adolescent mind was blown away by the sheer magnitude and complexity of IT when it was published.
Then came all of the science fiction, The Foundation Trilogy being my favorite, followed by deeper reads, books that were interesting and complex, containing important social criticism : A Clockwork Orange, Catch-22, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Brave New World, The Lord of the Flies, Fahrenheit 451, Of Mice and Men, and To Kill A Mockingbird.
I still maintained my connection to so-called fun books, though. Especially Stephen King. When his The Dark Tower books came out, I drove over to the mall to pick up my pre-ordered copy with each new volume. I was so eager to read them that I sat in the parking lot and read the first couple of chapters before I went home.
In college I was exposed to literature the likes of which I'd never seen, plots, diction, syntax, structures, ideas, etc . . . that were difficult to comprehend, that made me think deeply, critically, creatively, and which challenged me to consider beliefs, opinions, and way's of life vastly different from my own.
These days, I read anything I can get my hands on. Recently I've been on a biography binge. I read Fierce Patriot: The Tangled Lives of William Tecumseh Sherman, And So It Goes: Kurt Vonnegut: A Life, Ambrose Bierce: Alone in Bad Company, and Petty: The Biography. Right now I'm reading Silence: A Novel, mainly because I want to see the Scorsese adaptation, and the rule in my house is that if a movie comes out that's based on a book, I have to read the book first.
My point is this: if you want to write, you have to read, and you have to read widely. Read everything you can get your hands on. Broaden your interests. Read fiction and non-fiction. Read poetry, newspapers, magazines. The more styles you expose yourself to, the more ideas you encounter, the more structures you puzzle through, the better your writing will be.
Next up: Write as much as possible, even if it's bad.
Are you a fan of horror or post-apocalyptic fiction? Join my email list and receive a free short story, audio book, and theme song for "Beta":
A monster terrorizes an isolated village in the mountains of Eastern Europe, draining the blood of its victims, leaving them frozen in the snow. The villagers hunt wolves, decapitate “vampires,” but the murders continue. As each new body is found, the residents grow more and more paranoid. Who will be next? Will it ever end?
www.jamesnoll.net
"Your grandmother hasn't seen you in a while," my mother explained. "She wants to get to know you better."
I was supposed to spend one week with Grandma Francis in New Jersey, which was great, but about half way through the week, my parents called and explained that since my other set of grandparents (my dad's parents) lived in Pennsylvania, she was going to drop me off with them for another week-long visit.
So I think I'm justified in saying that they were just trying to get rid of me.
Grandma and Grandpa Noll were still working back then, so essentially I stayed in their house until they came home. Grandma Noll left me with a stack of books to read during the day when they were gone, most of them westerns, but I ended up finding a series of mysteries that I ripped through. The first one had something to do with a murder on a boat. There was a knife plunged into the deck, a dead body, several suspects, etc . . . . Whatever. It worked. I was hooked.
Not that I needed very much encouragement to read. I come from a family of readers. My mother read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to me when I was too young to do it by myself, and when I could read, I devoured everything I could get my hands on. Dr. Seuss led to Lloyd Alexander, then The Hobbit, then The Lord of the Rings. When I was in ninth grade, my brother introduced me to Stephen King, and I ripped through everything he'd written, from Carrie to The Talisman. (This was the 80's though, so I didn't do it strictly in that order. I started with Night Shift, then moved on to Firestarter, then to Pet Semetery, The Bachman Books, Skelton Crew, The Dead Zone, etc . . . .) The Stand was a revelation, and my adolescent mind was blown away by the sheer magnitude and complexity of IT when it was published.
Then came all of the science fiction, The Foundation Trilogy being my favorite, followed by deeper reads, books that were interesting and complex, containing important social criticism : A Clockwork Orange, Catch-22, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Brave New World, The Lord of the Flies, Fahrenheit 451, Of Mice and Men, and To Kill A Mockingbird.
I still maintained my connection to so-called fun books, though. Especially Stephen King. When his The Dark Tower books came out, I drove over to the mall to pick up my pre-ordered copy with each new volume. I was so eager to read them that I sat in the parking lot and read the first couple of chapters before I went home.
In college I was exposed to literature the likes of which I'd never seen, plots, diction, syntax, structures, ideas, etc . . . that were difficult to comprehend, that made me think deeply, critically, creatively, and which challenged me to consider beliefs, opinions, and way's of life vastly different from my own.
These days, I read anything I can get my hands on. Recently I've been on a biography binge. I read Fierce Patriot: The Tangled Lives of William Tecumseh Sherman, And So It Goes: Kurt Vonnegut: A Life, Ambrose Bierce: Alone in Bad Company, and Petty: The Biography. Right now I'm reading Silence: A Novel, mainly because I want to see the Scorsese adaptation, and the rule in my house is that if a movie comes out that's based on a book, I have to read the book first.
My point is this: if you want to write, you have to read, and you have to read widely. Read everything you can get your hands on. Broaden your interests. Read fiction and non-fiction. Read poetry, newspapers, magazines. The more styles you expose yourself to, the more ideas you encounter, the more structures you puzzle through, the better your writing will be.
Next up: Write as much as possible, even if it's bad.
Are you a fan of horror or post-apocalyptic fiction? Join my email list and receive a free short story, audio book, and theme song for "Beta":
A monster terrorizes an isolated village in the mountains of Eastern Europe, draining the blood of its victims, leaving them frozen in the snow. The villagers hunt wolves, decapitate “vampires,” but the murders continue. As each new body is found, the residents grow more and more paranoid. Who will be next? Will it ever end?
www.jamesnoll.net
May 4, 2016
INDIE PUBLISHING GUIDE: THREE WRITING TIPS INDIE PUBLISHERS MUST READ
Hi Everybody,
I haven't posted here in a loooong time because I've been very busy publishing and getting ready for a big marketing push this summer and fall.
During that time, I've set up a marketing strategy, revamped my site, and started my big Get On The List email campaign.
Check out the new site here: www.jamesnoll.net
and the new blog post here: http://www.jamesnoll.net/2016/03/19/t...
So I don't have to do everything twice, I'll be posting the links to the WP on Goodreads from now on, unless someone can tell me how to link WP to Goodreads--if you do, let me know!
Thanks for checking in and following my long overdue blogging. If you want a free ebook, audio book, and theme song for my short story, Beta: Special Illustrated Edition
, click here:
http://eepurl.com/bVasbz
Happy reading!
--JN
I haven't posted here in a loooong time because I've been very busy publishing and getting ready for a big marketing push this summer and fall.
During that time, I've set up a marketing strategy, revamped my site, and started my big Get On The List email campaign.
Check out the new site here: www.jamesnoll.net
and the new blog post here: http://www.jamesnoll.net/2016/03/19/t...
So I don't have to do everything twice, I'll be posting the links to the WP on Goodreads from now on, unless someone can tell me how to link WP to Goodreads--if you do, let me know!
Thanks for checking in and following my long overdue blogging. If you want a free ebook, audio book, and theme song for my short story, Beta: Special Illustrated Edition
, click here:http://eepurl.com/bVasbz
Happy reading!
--JN
November 26, 2014
Book Trailers!
So last summer I went ahead and put together book trailers for each book in the Topher Trilogy. I think I had more fun recording the music and editing the video than I do actually trying to market the book itself (common author lament). So it doesn't surprise me that they don't have all that many views.
Whatever the case, here they are! Check 'em out, pass 'em along, make 'em go viral!
Book 1: Raleigh's Prep
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fi7UM...
Book 2: Tracker's Travail
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpiHg...
Book 3: Topher's Ton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-zvR...
Whatever the case, here they are! Check 'em out, pass 'em along, make 'em go viral!
Book 1: Raleigh's Prep
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fi7UM...
Book 2: Tracker's Travail
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpiHg...
Book 3: Topher's Ton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-zvR...
November 6, 2014
Relying on Community
I've been engaged in so many projects that I really haven't had time to revisit my GR blog. But I'm between drafts, and I can't work on my album until later, so here we go.
Over the past year, I've realized the importance of the online writing community. Barring one bizarre episode on the Amazon ABNA Community, I've never experienced anything other than positive reinforcement and help from the writers of the Internet.
Last month, while I was finishing up a project (Burn All the Bodies), I checked my Twitter feed one morning and discovered that Pitch Wars was starting up again. I'd participated once before, and although my pitch did not make it past round one, I received excellent feedback. So I decided to give it a go with my new WIP, Bonesaw. And it worked! I received excellent feedback on my pitch, and not only did I make it to the agent round, an agent is currently reading the first fifty pages of Bonesaw.
While it's no guarantee that I will become an official 'agented' writer out of this, I couldn't have even gotten to that point without the online writing community, not to mention the fact that the feedback on my work inspired me. As everyone trying to self-pub AND find an agent knows, writing is brutal. I often feel like I'm casting around in the dark, or stupid for even trying to get my stuff read, but when validation like this comes around . . . its awesome. I am so grateful.
On top of that, seeds that I planted in the spring continue to take root. In April, I embarked on a month long Library Tour of the CRRL branches. Just four Saturdays setting up my table, making connections, and selling a few books at a time. Because of this, last week, the CRRL asked me to be a part of their Local Author meet and greet, where I will have a chance to talk to some thirty other local writers and perhaps even sell or distribute my books.
More cool things:
* The Fairfax County Public Library system accepted A Knife in the Back and YOU WILL BE SAFE HERE into their collections.
* I received the cover art for Burn All the Bodies (drawn by Bri from Itty Bitty Press, another local business).
* And I'm finally almost done with a music project I started in January. My end, at least. The next step is asking some of my local violinists/strings maestros to overdub my synth strings parts.
Viva Community!
www.jamesnoll.net
Over the past year, I've realized the importance of the online writing community. Barring one bizarre episode on the Amazon ABNA Community, I've never experienced anything other than positive reinforcement and help from the writers of the Internet.
Last month, while I was finishing up a project (Burn All the Bodies), I checked my Twitter feed one morning and discovered that Pitch Wars was starting up again. I'd participated once before, and although my pitch did not make it past round one, I received excellent feedback. So I decided to give it a go with my new WIP, Bonesaw. And it worked! I received excellent feedback on my pitch, and not only did I make it to the agent round, an agent is currently reading the first fifty pages of Bonesaw.
While it's no guarantee that I will become an official 'agented' writer out of this, I couldn't have even gotten to that point without the online writing community, not to mention the fact that the feedback on my work inspired me. As everyone trying to self-pub AND find an agent knows, writing is brutal. I often feel like I'm casting around in the dark, or stupid for even trying to get my stuff read, but when validation like this comes around . . . its awesome. I am so grateful.
On top of that, seeds that I planted in the spring continue to take root. In April, I embarked on a month long Library Tour of the CRRL branches. Just four Saturdays setting up my table, making connections, and selling a few books at a time. Because of this, last week, the CRRL asked me to be a part of their Local Author meet and greet, where I will have a chance to talk to some thirty other local writers and perhaps even sell or distribute my books.
More cool things:
* The Fairfax County Public Library system accepted A Knife in the Back and YOU WILL BE SAFE HERE into their collections.
* I received the cover art for Burn All the Bodies (drawn by Bri from Itty Bitty Press, another local business).
* And I'm finally almost done with a music project I started in January. My end, at least. The next step is asking some of my local violinists/strings maestros to overdub my synth strings parts.
Viva Community!
www.jamesnoll.net
November 24, 2013
Local Author Programs at the Library!
One of the biggest challenges of indie publishing is figuring out when to give a book away and when to try to make a sale. For the most part, I just play it by ear. If someone asks me if I've published a book and are interested in buying one, I'll definitely sell it. I've even gotten better about offering the Deluxe Package (book, t-shirt, theme music, and audiobook).
At the same time, if someone is genuinely interested in reading my book, but is uncertain about paying for it, I might give them a free copy-- it all depends on if I feel like they are really interested or if they just want something for free.
That's why I like the Goodreads giveaways, as it drums up name recognition on a platform that is populated by wonderful, wonderful readers, AND gives me an opportunity to give my book to someone who really wants to read it.
And it's ALSO why I'm really excited about the local library system's Local Author program. I didn't know it existed until yesterday, when I saw a woman selling her Christmas book in the lobby of my local library. I inquired at the ASK ME desk, and sure enough, they have a program that will allow me to put my book into circulation AND provide me with an opportunity to make sales all over the region.
After kicking myself for not looking into this ahead of time (I've always wanted to set up an annual Halloween reading/sale-- how cool would that be?) I realized that this is a great opportunity. The only other avenues for this kind of sale is to rent a table at the many Book Festivals in the region, but they're usually $100 a table, which is simply a bad business move in terms of expenditures. (I suppose it's okay for marketing, right?). But the library doesn't charge a thing (I think), so the only money I'll spend is on gas, and that's a tax write off.
So now I'm wringing my hands, hoping that the book will be accepted. I'm also pretty excited because I'm definitely hitting the other regional systems in the next month to see if they also have local author programs. I can see a good year or two of weekly Saturday sales, hitting regional libraries and essentially DIY marketing. Plus, I really like designing the t-shirts and recording the music that I include in the Deluxe Packages, so if this works out, I have an official excuse to keep that up, too.
Anyway, It's just another reminder to me that being an indie author isn't about instant success but building an audience one person at a time, either through sales or just getting a good read.A Knife in the Back: Seven Tales of Murder and Madness, and Raleigh's Prep., a Novel
At the same time, if someone is genuinely interested in reading my book, but is uncertain about paying for it, I might give them a free copy-- it all depends on if I feel like they are really interested or if they just want something for free.
That's why I like the Goodreads giveaways, as it drums up name recognition on a platform that is populated by wonderful, wonderful readers, AND gives me an opportunity to give my book to someone who really wants to read it.
And it's ALSO why I'm really excited about the local library system's Local Author program. I didn't know it existed until yesterday, when I saw a woman selling her Christmas book in the lobby of my local library. I inquired at the ASK ME desk, and sure enough, they have a program that will allow me to put my book into circulation AND provide me with an opportunity to make sales all over the region.
After kicking myself for not looking into this ahead of time (I've always wanted to set up an annual Halloween reading/sale-- how cool would that be?) I realized that this is a great opportunity. The only other avenues for this kind of sale is to rent a table at the many Book Festivals in the region, but they're usually $100 a table, which is simply a bad business move in terms of expenditures. (I suppose it's okay for marketing, right?). But the library doesn't charge a thing (I think), so the only money I'll spend is on gas, and that's a tax write off.
So now I'm wringing my hands, hoping that the book will be accepted. I'm also pretty excited because I'm definitely hitting the other regional systems in the next month to see if they also have local author programs. I can see a good year or two of weekly Saturday sales, hitting regional libraries and essentially DIY marketing. Plus, I really like designing the t-shirts and recording the music that I include in the Deluxe Packages, so if this works out, I have an official excuse to keep that up, too.
Anyway, It's just another reminder to me that being an indie author isn't about instant success but building an audience one person at a time, either through sales or just getting a good read.A Knife in the Back: Seven Tales of Murder and Madness, and Raleigh's Prep., a Novel
More from "Like This?"
"The girl lay on the floor, spilling out of the basement just as I’d left her. I knelt down to see her eyes, but she disappeared, replaced by the dark stain on the hardwood."
www.facebook.com/knifeback
www.facebook.com/knifeback
November 23, 2013
YOU WILL BE SAFE HERE
I'm currently in the middle of line editing my second release, YOU WILL BE SAFE HERE!
Travel down the dark recesses of the human mind, take a journey to a doomed planet, and tour the paranormal corners of Fredericksburg, Virginia with
four more short stories and a new novel from the author of A Knife in the Back.
In “Like This?,” the psychiatrists released Jefferson Jefferson from the institution early. They shouldn’t have.
“Milly-Anne” doesn’t let autism get in her way. She’s smart. Smarter than her mother, smarter than her classmates, and definitely smarter than Mr. Tull, her principal. But something horrific is spawning in the air ducts of her school, and she can’t make anybody understand just how much danger they are in.
In “The Unan,” Bear, his sister, Lily, and the old man barely escape a deadly outbreak in their compound. They take to the jungle where unknown peril awaits.
In “Savages,” a fireball streaks through the heavens above the peaceful valley where the White One, the Brother of Rhoem, has lived for years with his cousins, the Unan. The chief of the Unan thinks it may be a message from the gods, but the White One knows it is a different kind of visitor.
Tracker’s Travail picks up the story of Topher, Zorn, and Gertrude years after their escape from Raleigh’s Prep.. Arriving in Fredericksburg, Virginia just in time to stop a Class IV CZA, they stick around to take on city’s evil mayor, do battle with a massive squid monster, and team up with a mysterious benefactor who is not as charitable as he seems.
Here is a link to my facebook page, on which I'll be positing illustrations from the short stories and the novel.
www.facebook.com/knifeback
The images for the short stories are by Grant Ervin, and those for the novel are by Bill Harris.
If you haven't picked up my first book, A Knife in the Back, you can buy it directly from me here:
www.jamesnoll.net/Store.html
Travel down the dark recesses of the human mind, take a journey to a doomed planet, and tour the paranormal corners of Fredericksburg, Virginia with
four more short stories and a new novel from the author of A Knife in the Back.
In “Like This?,” the psychiatrists released Jefferson Jefferson from the institution early. They shouldn’t have.
“Milly-Anne” doesn’t let autism get in her way. She’s smart. Smarter than her mother, smarter than her classmates, and definitely smarter than Mr. Tull, her principal. But something horrific is spawning in the air ducts of her school, and she can’t make anybody understand just how much danger they are in.
In “The Unan,” Bear, his sister, Lily, and the old man barely escape a deadly outbreak in their compound. They take to the jungle where unknown peril awaits.
In “Savages,” a fireball streaks through the heavens above the peaceful valley where the White One, the Brother of Rhoem, has lived for years with his cousins, the Unan. The chief of the Unan thinks it may be a message from the gods, but the White One knows it is a different kind of visitor.
Tracker’s Travail picks up the story of Topher, Zorn, and Gertrude years after their escape from Raleigh’s Prep.. Arriving in Fredericksburg, Virginia just in time to stop a Class IV CZA, they stick around to take on city’s evil mayor, do battle with a massive squid monster, and team up with a mysterious benefactor who is not as charitable as he seems.
Here is a link to my facebook page, on which I'll be positing illustrations from the short stories and the novel.
www.facebook.com/knifeback
The images for the short stories are by Grant Ervin, and those for the novel are by Bill Harris.
If you haven't picked up my first book, A Knife in the Back, you can buy it directly from me here:
www.jamesnoll.net/Store.html
May 18, 2013
Gaithersburg Book Festival
Too tired to post much, but I just got back from the GBF and it was a blast. Met some cool indie authors, got some leads on other festivals at which I can sell my book, made some sales, and got some great leads!
JN
JN
