Kevin Hardman's Blog, page 15
May 25, 2015
What Should I Write Next?
As I mentioned in my prior post, the latest Kid Sensation novel, Revelation, is finished. It is now in the hands of my editor, and - with the cover also done - this is normally the time period during which I enjoy a few days of down time before I start writing the next book.
Historically, I've typically known what the next book was going to be at this juncture. Frankly speaking, one novel is usually making more noise in my head than the others, crying to be "born." That's what happened with my previous book, Terminus (Fringe Worlds #1) . The story had been in my mind for years and finally demanded to be released (in more ways than one).
If I were to go back to the pattern I initially established, a new Warden book usually follows on the heels of a Kid Sensation release, so having that next on the agenda would not be surprising. However, I'm severely tempted to buck the order. Not only do I have the outline of a new Fringe Worlds book essentially laid out, but I've also had the story of the character Mouse (from the Kid Sensation books) pretty much completed - at least in my head - for a while now. In fact, the Mouse book would probably be the quickest and easiest for me to finish. (Of course, none of this is meant to say that I don't have anything in mind for Warden #4, because I've got the groundwork for that one established as well.)
All in all, I'm blessed to have three series that can all be considered successful (although to varying degrees) and which have found audiences. Still, having to single one out for special treatment - even if only temporarily - feels a little like being in the Twilight Zone for me:
Oh well, I'll probably just see which I feel like writing on the day I wrap up my R&R and that will probably be the next novel. Hopefully it will be a book in one of the three aforementioned series, and not one of the many others that I've begun writing. (Speaking of which, I was actually inspired to put in a little work yesterday on a post-apocalyptic/dystopian novel that I started a while back.) However, I'm not making any promises at this point.
Historically, I've typically known what the next book was going to be at this juncture. Frankly speaking, one novel is usually making more noise in my head than the others, crying to be "born." That's what happened with my previous book, Terminus (Fringe Worlds #1) . The story had been in my mind for years and finally demanded to be released (in more ways than one).
If I were to go back to the pattern I initially established, a new Warden book usually follows on the heels of a Kid Sensation release, so having that next on the agenda would not be surprising. However, I'm severely tempted to buck the order. Not only do I have the outline of a new Fringe Worlds book essentially laid out, but I've also had the story of the character Mouse (from the Kid Sensation books) pretty much completed - at least in my head - for a while now. In fact, the Mouse book would probably be the quickest and easiest for me to finish. (Of course, none of this is meant to say that I don't have anything in mind for Warden #4, because I've got the groundwork for that one established as well.)
All in all, I'm blessed to have three series that can all be considered successful (although to varying degrees) and which have found audiences. Still, having to single one out for special treatment - even if only temporarily - feels a little like being in the Twilight Zone for me:
Oh well, I'll probably just see which I feel like writing on the day I wrap up my R&R and that will probably be the next novel. Hopefully it will be a book in one of the three aforementioned series, and not one of the many others that I've begun writing. (Speaking of which, I was actually inspired to put in a little work yesterday on a post-apocalyptic/dystopian novel that I started a while back.) However, I'm not making any promises at this point.
May 11, 2015
Update on Kid Sensation #4: Finished!
I am extremely happy to report that Revelation (Kid Sensation #4) is finally finished! I still have to do my usual read-through (not to mention getting it to my editor) but the manuscript is done!
I can honestly say that this one has truly been a labor of love, as I have had to deal with a number of delays. One of the most prevalent of late has been the fact that my wife's computer, which she and our kids normally use for their work and projects, has been on the fritz for a while now. The result of that has been a detrimental effect on my output; basically, everyone has had to use the computer that I normally do my writing on to complete their regular activities. (There's not a whole lot you can do when your kid says, "Dad, I've got a project due tomorrow so I need to use the computer..." There's a lot more wiggle room in the writing schedule than there is in the deadline for school projects. Ergo, school takes precedence.)
That aside, I really want to stay in my thanks to everyone - readers, my editor, etc. - for the patience and understanding they've displayed. It is my hope that the next book won't take nearly as long. (Needless to say, one of the first things I'm going to do with any profits from the current book is to buy a dedicated computer for the wife and kiddies.)
I can honestly say that this one has truly been a labor of love, as I have had to deal with a number of delays. One of the most prevalent of late has been the fact that my wife's computer, which she and our kids normally use for their work and projects, has been on the fritz for a while now. The result of that has been a detrimental effect on my output; basically, everyone has had to use the computer that I normally do my writing on to complete their regular activities. (There's not a whole lot you can do when your kid says, "Dad, I've got a project due tomorrow so I need to use the computer..." There's a lot more wiggle room in the writing schedule than there is in the deadline for school projects. Ergo, school takes precedence.)
That aside, I really want to stay in my thanks to everyone - readers, my editor, etc. - for the patience and understanding they've displayed. It is my hope that the next book won't take nearly as long. (Needless to say, one of the first things I'm going to do with any profits from the current book is to buy a dedicated computer for the wife and kiddies.)
February 27, 2015
Excerpt From Kid Sensation #4
I am still working hard on Revelation - the next Kid Sensation book - but haven't managed to finish it yet, despite my best intentions. Between family obligations, travel for the day job (e.g., I was in 3 states over a four-day period recently), and other issues, I just haven't been able to write as much as I'd planned. That said, I'm close to wrapping it up. (In my own opinion, all I need is five good writing days to get it done.) Right now, assuming no other hiccups, I'm hopeful I can get it published in March (although it may be towards the latter part of the month).
In the meantime, since I know fans of the series have been waiting a long time, I thought it might be fun to publish an excerpt from the book. (One caveat: my editor hasn't gotten her hands on this yet, so you're getting a rare glimpse of the sausage-making process.) Hopefully it will whet everyone's appetite for the upcoming release:
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“Alpha Prime’s cell phone stopped functioning two days ago,” Mouse said. “Somewhere in the Midwest.”“What does that mean, ‘stopped functioning?’” I asked.“It means the battery died,” Mouse said in exasperation. “Or he dropped it in the ocean, or it got run over by a tank, or a million other things that would make it stop working.”I looked at Megaton. “In that case, I guess it’s okay that we didn’t bother leaving him a message this afternoon.”“Hold on,” Electra said. “You called Alpha Prime this afternoon? How’s that possible if his phone stopped working two days ago?”Mouse wagged a finger at her. “You’re confusing the phone with the phone line, for lack of a better term. If someone turns their phone off or their battery dies, a caller will still hear the phone ring, be able to leave a message, and so on. Basically, the rest of the phone network will still work properly; it’s just the end device that’s not functioning.”“Well, what about his communicator?” my uncle asked.“This is where it gets weird,” Mouse said. “It’s not on the planet.”“If it’s not on the planet, then where is it?” Electra asked.“Outer space is a good guess,” Mouse replied.Megaton’s face was a textbook example of incredulity. “Outer space?? Where in outer space?!” he practically demanded.“The Crab Nebula, man – I don’t know,” Mouse replied with a shrug. “All I can tell you is that right around the time AP’s cell phone stopped working, his communicator went arcing into the upper atmosphere from the same geographic area. Within thirty minutes it was in outer space. A few hours later it went beyond our ability to track.”“Are you saying that Alpha Prime is somewhere in outer space?” asked Megaton.“I don’t know,” Mouse answered, shaking his head. “But he’s had off-planet missions before. Still, he wouldn’t take off on something like that without telling people.” Mouse glanced in my direction as he finished speaking, and I knew what he was implying. My father was so dedicated to our building a relationship that he’d never have simply disappeared without getting word to me. “So, could he have been kidnapped by aliens or something?” Electra asked. Mouse rubbed his chin in thought. “It wouldn’t be the first instance of an alien race trying something like that, but if they did I’d expect there to be news coverage of an interstellar spaceship being ripped to shreds.” Megaton chuckled at the thought. “Yeah, that’s what happened last time.” “Assuming we can rule out extraterrestrial intervention,” Li said, “perhaps we should consider the forces already established as inimical to Alpha Prime.” “If you’re asking what can hurt him,” I said. “the answer is very little. That said, he’s been known to be susceptible to magic.” “Also time dilation,” Megaton volunteered. “There are also certain natural phenomena that could, theoretically, harm him,” Mouse added, “but I don’t think he’s had exposure to any of those.” “Any chance he just took off for some R and R?” Electra suggested hopefully. “Maybe a few days of downtime to recharge his batteries?” To the general public, her question would have been perceived as ludicrous. Physically, Alpha Prime was inexhaustible; he didn’t get tired, drained, fatigued, what have you. However, what very few knew was that, emotionally and mentally, my father had grown incredibly weary of being a cape. Maybe it was the stress of being held up as the world’s greatest superhero, the gold standard, but he’d told me on more than one occasion that he was ready to give it all up. Perhaps Megaton and Mouse knew this about my father as well, because they took Electra’s question seriously, staring at one another as each silently contemplated what she had said. “What do you think?” Megaton asked after a few seconds. Mouse seemed to physically waver, heading bobbing from side to side, as he tossed the question around in his brain. “Well,” Mouse finally said, “he does have that little hideaway.” I didn’t say anything, but I knew what they were talking about. My father had a secret base that served as his retreat from the world whenever he needed a little time to himself. “If you’re talking about AP’s little clandestine stronghold,” Electra said, “he might be there, but nobody knows where it is.” “I do,” said Megaton. “Me, too,” said Mouse. Frankly speaking, I was a little surprised (and maybe a little jealous). My father hadn’t even told me where his secret base was, and he was desperate for us to develop a normal father-son bond. “So if we know where it is, what are we waiting for?” Electra asked in agitation. Any anxiety on her part was understandable. Electra was an orphan who had been raised by the Alpha League since infancy; AP was a father-figure to her. (One of several, in fact.) Our dating had made things a little awkward for Alpha Prime, but he had dealt with it admirably. The fact that he might be missing made any distress Electra was feeling justifiable. “It’s not that easy, Electra” Mouse said. “On those few occasions when he’s actually been injured, that stronghold, as you put it, has been the place that Alpha Prime usually retreated to.” “Why is that?” asked Li. “Because the place is equipped with formidable automatic defenses,” Megaton answered. “And by ‘formidable,’ I mean lethal.”“It’s beyond lethal,” Mouse countered. “We’re talking weapons and technology capable of roasting a planet, and not all of it terrestrial in origin. After all, it would be intended to stop something or someone capable of injuring Alpha Prime.” “So basically, no one’s getting in there without an invitation,” Electra summarized. “More or less,” Mouse said, drumming his fingers on the worktable. “However, I’m betting there’s one person Alpha Prime would definitely have given access to. Someone he would have allowed to come and go as they pleased.” “Someone whose biometrics he would have fed into his defense system so they could enter in safety,” Megaton added, catching on.I felt a hollow pit in my stomach, plainly seeing where this conversation was going. “Who?” Electra asked, her brow furrowed. “Who?” Mouse hesitated for a second, then said, “His son.” “You mean Paramount?” asked Electra, her tone making it clear that this was something of an anticlimactic revelation. “He’s still locked up who-knows-where, with no chance of ever getting out.” “No, not Paramount,” Mouse said. “His otherson.” Shock and confusion fought for supremacy on Electra’s face, as well as on an emotional level within her. This was plainly news to her, and it wasn’t immediately clear how she would react. “What other son?” she muttered after a few seconds, obviously still processing what she had just heard. There was dead silence as Mouse and Megaton both looked in my direction. “Me,” I said flatly.
In the meantime, since I know fans of the series have been waiting a long time, I thought it might be fun to publish an excerpt from the book. (One caveat: my editor hasn't gotten her hands on this yet, so you're getting a rare glimpse of the sausage-making process.) Hopefully it will whet everyone's appetite for the upcoming release:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Alpha Prime’s cell phone stopped functioning two days ago,” Mouse said. “Somewhere in the Midwest.”“What does that mean, ‘stopped functioning?’” I asked.“It means the battery died,” Mouse said in exasperation. “Or he dropped it in the ocean, or it got run over by a tank, or a million other things that would make it stop working.”I looked at Megaton. “In that case, I guess it’s okay that we didn’t bother leaving him a message this afternoon.”“Hold on,” Electra said. “You called Alpha Prime this afternoon? How’s that possible if his phone stopped working two days ago?”Mouse wagged a finger at her. “You’re confusing the phone with the phone line, for lack of a better term. If someone turns their phone off or their battery dies, a caller will still hear the phone ring, be able to leave a message, and so on. Basically, the rest of the phone network will still work properly; it’s just the end device that’s not functioning.”“Well, what about his communicator?” my uncle asked.“This is where it gets weird,” Mouse said. “It’s not on the planet.”“If it’s not on the planet, then where is it?” Electra asked.“Outer space is a good guess,” Mouse replied.Megaton’s face was a textbook example of incredulity. “Outer space?? Where in outer space?!” he practically demanded.“The Crab Nebula, man – I don’t know,” Mouse replied with a shrug. “All I can tell you is that right around the time AP’s cell phone stopped working, his communicator went arcing into the upper atmosphere from the same geographic area. Within thirty minutes it was in outer space. A few hours later it went beyond our ability to track.”“Are you saying that Alpha Prime is somewhere in outer space?” asked Megaton.“I don’t know,” Mouse answered, shaking his head. “But he’s had off-planet missions before. Still, he wouldn’t take off on something like that without telling people.” Mouse glanced in my direction as he finished speaking, and I knew what he was implying. My father was so dedicated to our building a relationship that he’d never have simply disappeared without getting word to me. “So, could he have been kidnapped by aliens or something?” Electra asked. Mouse rubbed his chin in thought. “It wouldn’t be the first instance of an alien race trying something like that, but if they did I’d expect there to be news coverage of an interstellar spaceship being ripped to shreds.” Megaton chuckled at the thought. “Yeah, that’s what happened last time.” “Assuming we can rule out extraterrestrial intervention,” Li said, “perhaps we should consider the forces already established as inimical to Alpha Prime.” “If you’re asking what can hurt him,” I said. “the answer is very little. That said, he’s been known to be susceptible to magic.” “Also time dilation,” Megaton volunteered. “There are also certain natural phenomena that could, theoretically, harm him,” Mouse added, “but I don’t think he’s had exposure to any of those.” “Any chance he just took off for some R and R?” Electra suggested hopefully. “Maybe a few days of downtime to recharge his batteries?” To the general public, her question would have been perceived as ludicrous. Physically, Alpha Prime was inexhaustible; he didn’t get tired, drained, fatigued, what have you. However, what very few knew was that, emotionally and mentally, my father had grown incredibly weary of being a cape. Maybe it was the stress of being held up as the world’s greatest superhero, the gold standard, but he’d told me on more than one occasion that he was ready to give it all up. Perhaps Megaton and Mouse knew this about my father as well, because they took Electra’s question seriously, staring at one another as each silently contemplated what she had said. “What do you think?” Megaton asked after a few seconds. Mouse seemed to physically waver, heading bobbing from side to side, as he tossed the question around in his brain. “Well,” Mouse finally said, “he does have that little hideaway.” I didn’t say anything, but I knew what they were talking about. My father had a secret base that served as his retreat from the world whenever he needed a little time to himself. “If you’re talking about AP’s little clandestine stronghold,” Electra said, “he might be there, but nobody knows where it is.” “I do,” said Megaton. “Me, too,” said Mouse. Frankly speaking, I was a little surprised (and maybe a little jealous). My father hadn’t even told me where his secret base was, and he was desperate for us to develop a normal father-son bond. “So if we know where it is, what are we waiting for?” Electra asked in agitation. Any anxiety on her part was understandable. Electra was an orphan who had been raised by the Alpha League since infancy; AP was a father-figure to her. (One of several, in fact.) Our dating had made things a little awkward for Alpha Prime, but he had dealt with it admirably. The fact that he might be missing made any distress Electra was feeling justifiable. “It’s not that easy, Electra” Mouse said. “On those few occasions when he’s actually been injured, that stronghold, as you put it, has been the place that Alpha Prime usually retreated to.” “Why is that?” asked Li. “Because the place is equipped with formidable automatic defenses,” Megaton answered. “And by ‘formidable,’ I mean lethal.”“It’s beyond lethal,” Mouse countered. “We’re talking weapons and technology capable of roasting a planet, and not all of it terrestrial in origin. After all, it would be intended to stop something or someone capable of injuring Alpha Prime.” “So basically, no one’s getting in there without an invitation,” Electra summarized. “More or less,” Mouse said, drumming his fingers on the worktable. “However, I’m betting there’s one person Alpha Prime would definitely have given access to. Someone he would have allowed to come and go as they pleased.” “Someone whose biometrics he would have fed into his defense system so they could enter in safety,” Megaton added, catching on.I felt a hollow pit in my stomach, plainly seeing where this conversation was going. “Who?” Electra asked, her brow furrowed. “Who?” Mouse hesitated for a second, then said, “His son.” “You mean Paramount?” asked Electra, her tone making it clear that this was something of an anticlimactic revelation. “He’s still locked up who-knows-where, with no chance of ever getting out.” “No, not Paramount,” Mouse said. “His otherson.” Shock and confusion fought for supremacy on Electra’s face, as well as on an emotional level within her. This was plainly news to her, and it wasn’t immediately clear how she would react. “What other son?” she muttered after a few seconds, obviously still processing what she had just heard. There was dead silence as Mouse and Megaton both looked in my direction. “Me,” I said flatly.
January 11, 2015
What I Did Right and Wrong in 2014
We are now rolling along into the wonderful new year of 2015, but over the past few weeks, I've taken many a moment to reflect - from the standpoint of an author - on what happened to me over the previous 12 months. Needless to say, I had highs and lows; there were things I [like to think I] did well and things I did poorly. Hopefully, the next twelve months will see me doing many more of the former and far less of the latter, but for now it's helpful for me to put them on the scales and see how they balance.
Things Done Right 1) I think the main thing I did right is that I continued to write and publish. You'll hear all the time about how most people who want to write a book will never start; most who start writing a book will never finish; most who finish a book will never publish...and so on. Thus, I'm happy that I kept advancing the ball in that regard.
2) I sold more books (and, by extension, made more money) than I did in 2013. Of course, in 2013, I was just getting started and didn't have my fiction out there until around May of that year. Still, although it's not truly an apples-to-apples comparison, I can't help but view this as a step in the right direction. (To be honest, though, I don't know how accurate it is to claim stats like book sales as something I "did," unless you look at it from a marketing/promotion point of view).
3) I came up with lots of new ideas for books (many of which I actually started writing). I even published the first novel, Terminus , in a new series. I feel blessed that it has been well-received by readers and I look forward to getting the next book in the series published.
Things Done Poorly 1) The first thing on this list is an easy one to pinpoint: I only published two books in 2014. Two! I actually posted very recently about how our ability to write and publish quickly is a major strength for indies, so this is completely at odds with my personal philosophy. However, it is something that I definitely intend to remedy.
2) The two books that I finished in 2014 were published roughly seven months apart. Frankly speaking, that's simply too large of a break between books for an indie author. Unless you are selling massively (as opposed to modestly, like myself), it's just too easy for readers to forget about you, even if they are huge fans. That's why my preference is to publish books no more than four months apart, although publishing a new one every 2-3 months would be far better. (If you need proof of how important it is to publish regularly, you need look no further than my sales. Before I published Terminus in November, my monthly sales were the lowest they had been since I began in 2013.)
3) I didn't publish a novel in my most popular series, Kid Sensation, which can almost be considered heresy. I had sincerely hoped to have the next book done back in November, but I had some other things come up that left me with little time to write, if I'm being honest. Still, a successful series is a rarity, so continuing to expand on that achievement is imperative.
Of course, there were lots of other things that can be lumped into the category of right or wrong for the year, but these are probably the primary contributors to any successes or shortcomings I experienced. Naturally, I intend to continue embracing the positive practices while eliminating the negative. With a little luck, the 2015 "right" list will be far longer than the "wrong" one.
Things Done Right 1) I think the main thing I did right is that I continued to write and publish. You'll hear all the time about how most people who want to write a book will never start; most who start writing a book will never finish; most who finish a book will never publish...and so on. Thus, I'm happy that I kept advancing the ball in that regard.
2) I sold more books (and, by extension, made more money) than I did in 2013. Of course, in 2013, I was just getting started and didn't have my fiction out there until around May of that year. Still, although it's not truly an apples-to-apples comparison, I can't help but view this as a step in the right direction. (To be honest, though, I don't know how accurate it is to claim stats like book sales as something I "did," unless you look at it from a marketing/promotion point of view).
3) I came up with lots of new ideas for books (many of which I actually started writing). I even published the first novel, Terminus , in a new series. I feel blessed that it has been well-received by readers and I look forward to getting the next book in the series published.
Things Done Poorly 1) The first thing on this list is an easy one to pinpoint: I only published two books in 2014. Two! I actually posted very recently about how our ability to write and publish quickly is a major strength for indies, so this is completely at odds with my personal philosophy. However, it is something that I definitely intend to remedy.
2) The two books that I finished in 2014 were published roughly seven months apart. Frankly speaking, that's simply too large of a break between books for an indie author. Unless you are selling massively (as opposed to modestly, like myself), it's just too easy for readers to forget about you, even if they are huge fans. That's why my preference is to publish books no more than four months apart, although publishing a new one every 2-3 months would be far better. (If you need proof of how important it is to publish regularly, you need look no further than my sales. Before I published Terminus in November, my monthly sales were the lowest they had been since I began in 2013.)
3) I didn't publish a novel in my most popular series, Kid Sensation, which can almost be considered heresy. I had sincerely hoped to have the next book done back in November, but I had some other things come up that left me with little time to write, if I'm being honest. Still, a successful series is a rarity, so continuing to expand on that achievement is imperative.
Of course, there were lots of other things that can be lumped into the category of right or wrong for the year, but these are probably the primary contributors to any successes or shortcomings I experienced. Naturally, I intend to continue embracing the positive practices while eliminating the negative. With a little luck, the 2015 "right" list will be far longer than the "wrong" one.
December 17, 2014
Heroes & Shifters: Urban Fantasy and Super Powers Book Bundle #3
I'm happy to announce that I'm in my first book bundle with other authors -
Heroes & Shifters: Urban Fantasy and Super Powers Book Bundle #3!
While I already have boxed sets of my own books, working with other authors on this bundle was a different experience, and I really enjoyed it. Hopefully readers will enjoy the bundle - 12 great stories from established fantasy authors for only 99 cents!
While I already have boxed sets of my own books, working with other authors on this bundle was a different experience, and I really enjoyed it. Hopefully readers will enjoy the bundle - 12 great stories from established fantasy authors for only 99 cents!
December 7, 2014
Snazzy Tech Tools for Indie Authors
A few weeks ago, I called my barber to schedule a time for a haircut, and he admonished me for not using his app to make the appointment. Yes! His app! My barber has an app! With a QR code and everything.
Needless to say, I was a little surprised. I guess I had always thought of barbering as being one of those professions that stays the same for the most part, with little change over the years. It hadn't really occurred to me that technology could affect - if not barbering itself - the ancillary matters related to it: communication, scheduling, etc. This, of course, got me to thinking of technological tools out there which might be beneficial to writers, a few of which I note below.
QR Codes Aside from an app, one of the things my barber had was a QR code, which was printed on his business card.
A QR code (the QR stands for "Quick Response") can be thought of as a square-shaped bar code. It can provide information about a product or service, connect to an app, link to a web page, etc. Most smart phones have the ability to read QR codes.
In the case of the QR code to the left, it's one that I created for my own business cards and links to the Books page of this very blog. Just scan it, and it will take you to where you can find out all about my novels. (I suppose I could also create distinct cards for each book, with each of those having its own QR code as well.)
In essence, QR codes can be a quick and easy way for authors to connect with readers. You can make your own QR codes on sites such as kaywa.com.
SmartURLs Next, as a writer you really should be making use of smartURLs. Practically speaking, a smartURL is one which manages internet traffic by directing it to the most geographically appropriate online site. For instance, here is the smartURL for my most recent release, Terminus :
http://smarturl.it/Terminus
Someone in the U.S. who clicks on this link will be taken to the Amazon product page for my book. However, someone in the United Kingdom would be taken to Amazon's UK page. A person in Canada would be directed to the book's Amazon Canada page. And so on.
As with QR codes, smartURLs are a great way to help your readers find you and/or your work. You can create smartURLs at: https://manage.smarturl.it/ .
Voice-Recognition Software Voice-recognition software is, of course, a well-established tool for authors. Unlike QR codes and smartURLs, such software is focused more on making the writer more efficient rather than connecting him or her with readers.
As implied, voice-recognition software will, ideally, simply type every word you utter, saving you from having to type it yourself. Since most people can talk a lot faster than they can type, this is seemingly a way to exponentially increase one's output.
Personally, I find that it makes my thinking too linear when I'm writing, but many authors love it. If it works for you, it is a chance to become far more prolific. Thus, rather than being able to write, say, three novels per year, you might suddenly find yourself able to crank out nine or ten of them.
All in all, there are lots of cool tech tools out there which can be fairly beneficial for authors. The trick is simply finding which - if any - work best for you.
Needless to say, I was a little surprised. I guess I had always thought of barbering as being one of those professions that stays the same for the most part, with little change over the years. It hadn't really occurred to me that technology could affect - if not barbering itself - the ancillary matters related to it: communication, scheduling, etc. This, of course, got me to thinking of technological tools out there which might be beneficial to writers, a few of which I note below.
QR Codes Aside from an app, one of the things my barber had was a QR code, which was printed on his business card.
A QR code (the QR stands for "Quick Response") can be thought of as a square-shaped bar code. It can provide information about a product or service, connect to an app, link to a web page, etc. Most smart phones have the ability to read QR codes. In the case of the QR code to the left, it's one that I created for my own business cards and links to the Books page of this very blog. Just scan it, and it will take you to where you can find out all about my novels. (I suppose I could also create distinct cards for each book, with each of those having its own QR code as well.)
In essence, QR codes can be a quick and easy way for authors to connect with readers. You can make your own QR codes on sites such as kaywa.com.
SmartURLs Next, as a writer you really should be making use of smartURLs. Practically speaking, a smartURL is one which manages internet traffic by directing it to the most geographically appropriate online site. For instance, here is the smartURL for my most recent release, Terminus :
http://smarturl.it/Terminus
Someone in the U.S. who clicks on this link will be taken to the Amazon product page for my book. However, someone in the United Kingdom would be taken to Amazon's UK page. A person in Canada would be directed to the book's Amazon Canada page. And so on.
As with QR codes, smartURLs are a great way to help your readers find you and/or your work. You can create smartURLs at: https://manage.smarturl.it/ .
Voice-Recognition Software Voice-recognition software is, of course, a well-established tool for authors. Unlike QR codes and smartURLs, such software is focused more on making the writer more efficient rather than connecting him or her with readers.
As implied, voice-recognition software will, ideally, simply type every word you utter, saving you from having to type it yourself. Since most people can talk a lot faster than they can type, this is seemingly a way to exponentially increase one's output.Personally, I find that it makes my thinking too linear when I'm writing, but many authors love it. If it works for you, it is a chance to become far more prolific. Thus, rather than being able to write, say, three novels per year, you might suddenly find yourself able to crank out nine or ten of them.
All in all, there are lots of cool tech tools out there which can be fairly beneficial for authors. The trick is simply finding which - if any - work best for you.
November 18, 2014
The Real Strength of Indie Authors
Back in the late '80s/early '90s, someone described actors (and I use the term loosely) like Jean-Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal as sort of "in-between" action stars: they were able to slake the public's thirst for more action movies by headlining films that debuted in between releases from major stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. It was a tactic that served them well; Seagal, for instance, became a household name thanks to films like
Hard to Kill
and
Marked for Death
, the latter of which I rank as among his best work - despite the now-laughable trailer below. (Hey, 20 years ago this was bad-ass.)
In essence, there was room for more movies with other action stars. Someone just had to make them.
In a similar vein, there's room for books other than those published by the traditional establishment. In fact, the public has proven to have a voracious appetite for the written word, and the mind-boggling success of so many self-published authors demonstrates that readers have been grossly underserved. This, to a certain extent, has helped many indies achieve incredible success. (It also didn't hurt that they wrote great stories, too.)
The hunger of readers for good books really wasn't being satisfied by legacy publishers. In fact, you might say they're still starving when you consider the fact that - from the standpoint of traditional publishing - it was generally considered highly productive if an author released one book per year. Their slothful practices, however, are a boon for indies and play right into what is probably our greatest strength: the ability to get our books written and released at a comparatively rapid-fire rate.
Consider, for example, the following: between March and December 2013, I wrote and published 6 books. Six! That's 6 books during a 10-month period (which is nothing compared to a lot of other authors). There's no way I could have done that with a legacy publisher - the lead times are just too great. However, I believe that being able to write and publish quickly allowed me to reach readers and swiftly grow an audience for my work. It is this ability to be prolific - much more so than most writers at traditional publishers - that really make indie authors a force to be reckoned with.
That said, self-published authors have to take advantage of this dynamic by writing constantly. You can't get bogged down by things like how your latest release is doing, the fact that BookBub rejected you, etc. Sure, some indies will experience tremendous success with just a single novel (and sometimes right out the gate), but for most of us this is going to be a volume business. You're probably going to have to crank out a fair amount of product in order to obtain a modicum of success. How much does that equate to? Well, in a previous blog, I posted about making a living by selling 3 books per day, the gist of which is that if you can publish 20 books, with each of them selling roughly 3 copies per day at $2.99 each, you could earn $50,000 per year.
Bearing that in mind, I'd argue that - if you're serious about wanting to be an author - publishing 20 books is a good goal to have. Why 20? Frankly speaking, one book simply isn't enough to hinge the concepts of success and failure on. It's certainly not enough to hone your craft, develop your style, or mature as a writer. I don't even think that 5 books would be enough, and I'm not certain that 10 would do the trick either. In short, I believe that the magic number actually lies somewhere between 10 and 20, but I say shoot for the latter in order to be safe. (It also wouldn't hurt to have a business plan, which would include things like a release schedule and a marketing budget.)
Of course, I'm not saying you have to write all 20 books in a year, but I would suggest that you not quit, give up, lose faith, what have you, until you get book number 20 out there. At that juncture, hopefully you'll be seeing some form of income, but more importantly, you'll have made a serious effort in the field of writing (not that writing fewer books means you didn't try).
In short, the speed with which indie authors can get their material written and released is probably the best arrow in our respective quivers. Try to fire early and often.
In essence, there was room for more movies with other action stars. Someone just had to make them.
In a similar vein, there's room for books other than those published by the traditional establishment. In fact, the public has proven to have a voracious appetite for the written word, and the mind-boggling success of so many self-published authors demonstrates that readers have been grossly underserved. This, to a certain extent, has helped many indies achieve incredible success. (It also didn't hurt that they wrote great stories, too.)
The hunger of readers for good books really wasn't being satisfied by legacy publishers. In fact, you might say they're still starving when you consider the fact that - from the standpoint of traditional publishing - it was generally considered highly productive if an author released one book per year. Their slothful practices, however, are a boon for indies and play right into what is probably our greatest strength: the ability to get our books written and released at a comparatively rapid-fire rate.
Consider, for example, the following: between March and December 2013, I wrote and published 6 books. Six! That's 6 books during a 10-month period (which is nothing compared to a lot of other authors). There's no way I could have done that with a legacy publisher - the lead times are just too great. However, I believe that being able to write and publish quickly allowed me to reach readers and swiftly grow an audience for my work. It is this ability to be prolific - much more so than most writers at traditional publishers - that really make indie authors a force to be reckoned with.
That said, self-published authors have to take advantage of this dynamic by writing constantly. You can't get bogged down by things like how your latest release is doing, the fact that BookBub rejected you, etc. Sure, some indies will experience tremendous success with just a single novel (and sometimes right out the gate), but for most of us this is going to be a volume business. You're probably going to have to crank out a fair amount of product in order to obtain a modicum of success. How much does that equate to? Well, in a previous blog, I posted about making a living by selling 3 books per day, the gist of which is that if you can publish 20 books, with each of them selling roughly 3 copies per day at $2.99 each, you could earn $50,000 per year.
Bearing that in mind, I'd argue that - if you're serious about wanting to be an author - publishing 20 books is a good goal to have. Why 20? Frankly speaking, one book simply isn't enough to hinge the concepts of success and failure on. It's certainly not enough to hone your craft, develop your style, or mature as a writer. I don't even think that 5 books would be enough, and I'm not certain that 10 would do the trick either. In short, I believe that the magic number actually lies somewhere between 10 and 20, but I say shoot for the latter in order to be safe. (It also wouldn't hurt to have a business plan, which would include things like a release schedule and a marketing budget.)
Of course, I'm not saying you have to write all 20 books in a year, but I would suggest that you not quit, give up, lose faith, what have you, until you get book number 20 out there. At that juncture, hopefully you'll be seeing some form of income, but more importantly, you'll have made a serious effort in the field of writing (not that writing fewer books means you didn't try).
In short, the speed with which indie authors can get their material written and released is probably the best arrow in our respective quivers. Try to fire early and often.
November 12, 2014
New Book Release: Terminus (Fringe Worlds #1)
After a far-longer period than I ever anticipated, I am happy to finally be releasing a new book:
Terminus (Fringe Worlds #1)
. The description is as follows:
Master Sergeant Gant Maker was a highly-decorated and well-respected Marine - until his last mission left him as the sole survivor of an encounter with a vicious race called the Vacra. Served up as a scapegoat and drummed out of the military, he has since lived a life of seclusion with only an adopted alien as a companion.
Now the Vacra have returned. As the only person to have ever faced them and survived, Maker is reinstated in the Corps and given the onerous task of finding this enemy on a world located at the edge of known space. Assisting him is an unlikely band of military rejects, including a blind sharpshooter, an unstable psychic, and a genetically-engineered killing machine who refuses to fight.
Given that the Vacra have superior weapons and technology, Maker recognizes that his team is at a distinct disadvantage. But Marines are nothing if not resourceful, and Maker has an audacious plan that just may level the playing field – if it doesn’t get them all killed.
This is a novel that, in all honesty, had been eating away at my brain for a while, so the options were either to write it or go crazy. (I'm sure my wife would say that the latter had already happened, so might as well do the former.) Of course, that meant putting some other projects on hold, but now I can turn my full attention to them and focus on getting them finished - starting with the next Kid Sensation book.
As always, I feel blessed to have readers who are interested in my work, and I'm thankful for the support. Hopefully those who read it will enjoy this book.
Master Sergeant Gant Maker was a highly-decorated and well-respected Marine - until his last mission left him as the sole survivor of an encounter with a vicious race called the Vacra. Served up as a scapegoat and drummed out of the military, he has since lived a life of seclusion with only an adopted alien as a companion.
Now the Vacra have returned. As the only person to have ever faced them and survived, Maker is reinstated in the Corps and given the onerous task of finding this enemy on a world located at the edge of known space. Assisting him is an unlikely band of military rejects, including a blind sharpshooter, an unstable psychic, and a genetically-engineered killing machine who refuses to fight.
Given that the Vacra have superior weapons and technology, Maker recognizes that his team is at a distinct disadvantage. But Marines are nothing if not resourceful, and Maker has an audacious plan that just may level the playing field – if it doesn’t get them all killed.
This is a novel that, in all honesty, had been eating away at my brain for a while, so the options were either to write it or go crazy. (I'm sure my wife would say that the latter had already happened, so might as well do the former.) Of course, that meant putting some other projects on hold, but now I can turn my full attention to them and focus on getting them finished - starting with the next Kid Sensation book.
As always, I feel blessed to have readers who are interested in my work, and I'm thankful for the support. Hopefully those who read it will enjoy this book.
October 7, 2014
Back to Basics: Fixing Your Cover and Blurb
Recently on one of the writing forums that I visit, another author bemoaned the fact that they weren't getting many sales. (In truth, you can find many authors making this same statement across many forums - all day, every day.) As is typical in such situations, one of the first things that other posters in the forum pointed out was that the author's covers needed work. Basically, while the covers weren't completely horrible, it was difficult to look at them and get a sense of what the book was about: you couldn't decipher it from the image, the name of the series, or the novel's title. Others pointed out that, among other things, the blurbs needed work.
Needless to say, the cover and blurb are two of the primary lures by which you hook readers. If those aren't up to par, you're going to have a tough time gaining any traction. (It's not impossible, but you're likely to have an easier time teaching a fish to walk a tightrope.) Thus, it's a good idea to occasionally revisit the basics with respect to these elements.
When I was in the military, we had a 3-step process that was applied to any presentation that we were going to give:
1) Tell 'em what you're going to tell 'em.2) Tell 'em.3) Tell 'em what you told 'em.
I think the same concept applies to things like covers and blurbs. For instance, take the novel Seven Unholy Days by Jerry Hatchett.
First of all, there's the title. While Seven Unholy Days might refer to a number of things, the author follows this up with a subtitle: A Thriller. Once that's there, there's little doubt as to what the book's genre is.
Next, there's the image itself. All alone, it might put me in mind of something religious or perhaps a spiritual awakening of some sort; I might even come to the same conclusion when viewing it in conjunction with the words Seven Unholy Days. However, with the subtitle clearly indicating it's a thriller, it now makes me think of something apocalyptic. (And I won't even go into the fact that it's actually very nice cover art, because it's a given that we're all shooting for that.)
In short, the cover has clearly conveyed to me the genre of the book (spelled it out, in fact, which I have no problem with), and introduced an image that I can relate too on several levels. Frankly speaking, you can't ask for much more than that.
Moving on, there's the blurb. Without going into a lot of detail, it mentions things like a "ruthless maniac," the Book of Revelations, and Armageddon. In combination, those phrases shout action/adventure/thriller to me. Likewise, your blurb needs to convey the essence of your book - not just the genre but the overall conflict.
All in all, the author has done a great job of baiting the hook in my opinion. Good cover art, nice blurb, etc., all of which do their part in letting readers know what they'll be getting in exchange for their hard-earned dollars.
Basically, getting readers interested in your book is a lot like going on a blind date. Your cover is your headshot, and you really want it to be attractive and say something positive about you. Your blurb is your introduction, giving those who like what they see a little more insight into what you have to offer. Bearing those facts in mind, I'd encourage writers to make an investment in a great cover (like getting a professional headshot as opposed to photoshopping a grainy pic of yourself taken at a toga party in college). It may not be cheap, but it will be money well-spent - as is money for other things like editing/proofreading.
In all honesty, though - unless you are immensely talented in all areas of publishing (eg, cover art, editing, formatting, etc.) - I don't know how you can publish a book for less than several hundred dollars. (For those interested, I discuss a lot of the costs in another blog post: How to Beat the High Cost of [Indie] Publishing .) As the old adage goes, it takes money to make money, and you have to be willing to invest in yourself. (You could also raise funds on various platforms, but that's a post for a different day.) That said, you most certainly can have sales on a book with a bad cover, a poorly written blurb, and so on, although I wouldn't bank on it. To quote the film Inception , "[I]t's perfectly possible. It's just bloody difficult."
If you would like to be notified when I release new books, please subscribe to my mailing list here.
Needless to say, the cover and blurb are two of the primary lures by which you hook readers. If those aren't up to par, you're going to have a tough time gaining any traction. (It's not impossible, but you're likely to have an easier time teaching a fish to walk a tightrope.) Thus, it's a good idea to occasionally revisit the basics with respect to these elements.
When I was in the military, we had a 3-step process that was applied to any presentation that we were going to give:
1) Tell 'em what you're going to tell 'em.2) Tell 'em.3) Tell 'em what you told 'em.
I think the same concept applies to things like covers and blurbs. For instance, take the novel Seven Unholy Days by Jerry Hatchett.
First of all, there's the title. While Seven Unholy Days might refer to a number of things, the author follows this up with a subtitle: A Thriller. Once that's there, there's little doubt as to what the book's genre is.Next, there's the image itself. All alone, it might put me in mind of something religious or perhaps a spiritual awakening of some sort; I might even come to the same conclusion when viewing it in conjunction with the words Seven Unholy Days. However, with the subtitle clearly indicating it's a thriller, it now makes me think of something apocalyptic. (And I won't even go into the fact that it's actually very nice cover art, because it's a given that we're all shooting for that.)
In short, the cover has clearly conveyed to me the genre of the book (spelled it out, in fact, which I have no problem with), and introduced an image that I can relate too on several levels. Frankly speaking, you can't ask for much more than that.
Moving on, there's the blurb. Without going into a lot of detail, it mentions things like a "ruthless maniac," the Book of Revelations, and Armageddon. In combination, those phrases shout action/adventure/thriller to me. Likewise, your blurb needs to convey the essence of your book - not just the genre but the overall conflict.
All in all, the author has done a great job of baiting the hook in my opinion. Good cover art, nice blurb, etc., all of which do their part in letting readers know what they'll be getting in exchange for their hard-earned dollars.
Basically, getting readers interested in your book is a lot like going on a blind date. Your cover is your headshot, and you really want it to be attractive and say something positive about you. Your blurb is your introduction, giving those who like what they see a little more insight into what you have to offer. Bearing those facts in mind, I'd encourage writers to make an investment in a great cover (like getting a professional headshot as opposed to photoshopping a grainy pic of yourself taken at a toga party in college). It may not be cheap, but it will be money well-spent - as is money for other things like editing/proofreading.
In all honesty, though - unless you are immensely talented in all areas of publishing (eg, cover art, editing, formatting, etc.) - I don't know how you can publish a book for less than several hundred dollars. (For those interested, I discuss a lot of the costs in another blog post: How to Beat the High Cost of [Indie] Publishing .) As the old adage goes, it takes money to make money, and you have to be willing to invest in yourself. (You could also raise funds on various platforms, but that's a post for a different day.) That said, you most certainly can have sales on a book with a bad cover, a poorly written blurb, and so on, although I wouldn't bank on it. To quote the film Inception , "[I]t's perfectly possible. It's just bloody difficult."
If you would like to be notified when I release new books, please subscribe to my mailing list here.
September 12, 2014
Kindle Unlimited = Criminals Unlimited
Having partaken of a buffet or two in my lifetime, I'm well-aware of the fact - as are most people - that businesses tend to serve up fare in this manner because they think it makes economic sense. The restaurant thinks that patrons will pay more to eat than the vittles actually cost. On the flip side, customers think they will eat more than enough to get their money's worth. Both sides walk away happy, making the situation a win-win.
Amazon's new Kindle Unlimited program is the same kind of all-you-can-eat offering, but for books. For $9.99 per month, readers can have unlimited access to over 600,000 books. Moreover, authors with their books in the program get paid whenever a subscriber reads more than 10% of their book. ("Payment" in this instance means receiving a share of the KDP Select Global Fund, which is a pool of money originally set aside by Amazon to pay owners whose books were borrowed as part of the Kindle Owners' Lending Library.)
In a perfect world, this would be a nigh-ideal scenario: avid readers could satisfy their voracious appetite for books (as well as take a chance on new and unknown writers), while authors would have another outlet for sales and visibility. However, leaving aside the issue of whether KU is a good deal for readers, authors, or both (or neither), one of the first things that occurred to me was that there were going to be people trying to game the system.
Let's face it, KU presents a massive opportunity for scammers of every ilk. There are probably as many ways to scam on KU as there are insects on this planet, and it just seems to me that crooks are - and will be - taking advanatge.
For instance, one of the first things that occurred to me when I heard about the program was, "What's to prevent an author from opening a sham KU account and then reading (or rather, just quickly flipping through) 10% of their own books? Or doing it every month?" It appears to be a quick and easy way to get some cash if you're unscrupulous.
Also, since an author gets paid as soon as a reader has read past the 10% mark, I've heard that some "writers" have essentially thrown together 10 pages of gibberish and published it as a book that is part of KU. As soon as the reader opens it up to page one, that's 10% of the book read and the author can get paid. The reader could complain, but it's not like they're out of any money; they'll probably just move on to the next (and hopefully legitimate) book.
Perhaps even more egregious, one person went so far as to publish scores of books - each only a few pages long - but with the titles (as well as the blurbs) of more popular works. Clearly, this was done to intentionally mislead readers and the tactic was initially successful: because Amazon's algorithms incorporate KU selections, this person's books were actually ranking very well! (Not to mention they were going to get paid.) Thankfully, enough people complained for Amazon to take notice, and I believe the offender's faux books were taken down (and presumably any earnings are forfeit.)
In what appears to be yet another scheme, a person offered a book promotion service whereby they guaranteed that your books would get at least 75 borrows in KU. I have no idea how anybody could legitimately make that kind of guarantee, because it sounds too good to be true. (Note to self: if something sounds too good to be true...) More than likely, this is a person who set up a KU account (or several) and will simply use their status as a KU subscriber to borrow the books of those who pay them. (It's not a whole lot different that buying reviews on Fiverr or the like, I guess.)
Basically, there are a ton of ways to scheme and scam with respect to KU. The good news is that Amazon is quite likely to find out about it and take swift, decisive action. But in the meantime, until a permanent solution is found, KU will remain the land of milk and honey for brazen criminals.
If you would like to be notified when I release new books, please subscribe to my mailing list here.
Amazon's new Kindle Unlimited program is the same kind of all-you-can-eat offering, but for books. For $9.99 per month, readers can have unlimited access to over 600,000 books. Moreover, authors with their books in the program get paid whenever a subscriber reads more than 10% of their book. ("Payment" in this instance means receiving a share of the KDP Select Global Fund, which is a pool of money originally set aside by Amazon to pay owners whose books were borrowed as part of the Kindle Owners' Lending Library.)
In a perfect world, this would be a nigh-ideal scenario: avid readers could satisfy their voracious appetite for books (as well as take a chance on new and unknown writers), while authors would have another outlet for sales and visibility. However, leaving aside the issue of whether KU is a good deal for readers, authors, or both (or neither), one of the first things that occurred to me was that there were going to be people trying to game the system.
Let's face it, KU presents a massive opportunity for scammers of every ilk. There are probably as many ways to scam on KU as there are insects on this planet, and it just seems to me that crooks are - and will be - taking advanatge.For instance, one of the first things that occurred to me when I heard about the program was, "What's to prevent an author from opening a sham KU account and then reading (or rather, just quickly flipping through) 10% of their own books? Or doing it every month?" It appears to be a quick and easy way to get some cash if you're unscrupulous.
Also, since an author gets paid as soon as a reader has read past the 10% mark, I've heard that some "writers" have essentially thrown together 10 pages of gibberish and published it as a book that is part of KU. As soon as the reader opens it up to page one, that's 10% of the book read and the author can get paid. The reader could complain, but it's not like they're out of any money; they'll probably just move on to the next (and hopefully legitimate) book.
Perhaps even more egregious, one person went so far as to publish scores of books - each only a few pages long - but with the titles (as well as the blurbs) of more popular works. Clearly, this was done to intentionally mislead readers and the tactic was initially successful: because Amazon's algorithms incorporate KU selections, this person's books were actually ranking very well! (Not to mention they were going to get paid.) Thankfully, enough people complained for Amazon to take notice, and I believe the offender's faux books were taken down (and presumably any earnings are forfeit.)
In what appears to be yet another scheme, a person offered a book promotion service whereby they guaranteed that your books would get at least 75 borrows in KU. I have no idea how anybody could legitimately make that kind of guarantee, because it sounds too good to be true. (Note to self: if something sounds too good to be true...) More than likely, this is a person who set up a KU account (or several) and will simply use their status as a KU subscriber to borrow the books of those who pay them. (It's not a whole lot different that buying reviews on Fiverr or the like, I guess.)
Basically, there are a ton of ways to scheme and scam with respect to KU. The good news is that Amazon is quite likely to find out about it and take swift, decisive action. But in the meantime, until a permanent solution is found, KU will remain the land of milk and honey for brazen criminals.
If you would like to be notified when I release new books, please subscribe to my mailing list here.
