D.B. Corey's Blog, page 2

Pasadena: Former youth coach pens his first novel - : Pasadena

It's always fun to get yourself in the paper.
Especially if you never have before.


Pasadena: Former youth coach pens his first novel - : Pasadena

A Series of Firsts

There's an old saying that goes, There is a first time for everything: The first time you ride a two-wheeler, the first time you make the baseball team, the first time you kiss a girl. But when you’re a writer, you discover there is a whole new set of Firsts waiting for you.Your first novelYour first submissionYour first rejectionYour first contract… Your first bit of recognitionI’ve enjoyed a little notoriety on occasion; “Oh, you’re Danielle’s dad,” or “You’re Maggie’s husband.” That sort of thing. But this past Monday was the first time I could remember where folks have come looking for me, and didn’t want to beat the crap out of me for something I might of … probably did. I arrived at work around my usual start time of fifteen-minutes late, and after tending to the business generated by my morning coffee, I returned to my office to find one of the folks I work with, smiling to beat the band, waiting outside my office … for me. In her hand, she held a copy of Chain of Evidence. Amazon had shipped early.“This arrived Saturday,” she announced. “Would you sign it for me?”

Sign it? The book? Now? But I’m not ready. I ... I have a meeting. My car has a flat. I have to phone my doctor. I think I hear my mother calling.Yep. It was my first book signing. Random thoughts overwhelmed my pea brain. I don’t know what to say. What should I write? It had to be profound! But I’m not profound. Maybe just scribble something illegible ... like a doctor. We stepped into my office and sat down and she handed me her copy of my book. That in itself was a first. Another person owned a copy of a book that I wrote, and actually paid for it with cash money, but what unnerved me was the way she looked at me; as if something great was about to happen. My stomach flipped over and I felt nauseous. The room closed in and the air became thick and warm. I began to perspire. I fumbled around for the pen in my shirt and realized my hand was shaking. I’d never feet like that before. Another first.I didn’t need her name. I already knew her. But I asked her what she wanted me to write in the book, because I sure as hell didn’t know.“Just write what you always write,” she suggested.And that’s the rub. I never wrote anything in a book before; other than my name, and that was only to prove ownership in a court of law when I went to college. Those college girls, they'll…. Never mind. Her book was my first signing, and that’s when it dawned on me.
I opened to the first page and wrote:Terry, This is my first.Hope you enjoy it.DBCOf course, it didn’t look nearly that good. My hand was still shaking and I signed it starting with the “B.” Glad I left some space on both sides of it for the other two initials.So that was my first experience signing a novel, and I suppose I better get it down before the launch in two weeks. There will be many people there, and not all of them family and friends. There will be folks in attendance that have decided I am worthy of their time and have indicated they would like to come celebrate this achievement with me, and while I resist using the word “Fans,” I want everyone to know how much I appreciate their interest in my work. Hopefully, you’ll be interested in the next one too.Thank you, all.DBC

Chain of Evidence - Trailer

Whenever a new movie comes out that’s gonna cost me a hard earned twenty-bucks, I seek out the trailer, snippets of a longer version that will take me into another world for a couple of awe-inspiring hours. Superman, Star Trek, and one of my most favorites, Despicable Me are just a few I’ve seen recently. Trailers are anticipated previews of the entertainment I use to reward myself for completing yet another long week of slaving over a hot keyboard, but other than that, I never gave them much thought.

Then earlier this week I happened to be browsing a colleague’s blog; C. A. Verstraete. I took a link to her website and spotted a trailer for her soon-to-be-released GIRL Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie , a story based on an old girlfriend of mine. I thought it was cool that she had a trailer, so I watched it. At the end, the credits listed the website that produced the piece. It was a do-it-yourself deal, and I was impressed that she put it together herself—at least I think she put it together herself.  I decided that whatever a girl could do, I could do too, and probably better …

(I’M ONLY KIDDING!!!)

... so I checked out the site and gave it a whirl. It didn’t cost a lot of money, and once I figured out the editing controls, I found it wasn’t all that difficult to produce my own trailer.

So here it is. Let me know what you think.

No profanity, please.





    

Best Selling Author Trice Hickman Drops by to Chat

A year or so ago I attended a conference-call seminar on self-publishing. The rejections I recieved from agents had convinced me that my book would never be published if I didn't change my tactics. So when I ran across the seminar, I jumped at it. Trice Hickman was the host, and an impresive host at that. Trice is the author of four best sellers, and she did it without using a traditional publisher. So if you're frustrated at the lack of attenntion your novel is stirring up, read on ... see how she did it.

My Publishing Journey: Navigating the Ups and Downs
I will never forget the day I started writing my first novel. I’d been plagued by writer’s block for years, but one sunny Wednesday morning in March 2004, I had a breakthrough! I sat at my computer and watched in amazement as words flowed like sweet water from my fingertips to the keyboard, filling up page after page with thoughts, emotions, and characters that had been living inside my head. I was so excited! I wrote every single day, and four months later my debut novel, Unexpected Interruptions, was complete! The feeling of accomplishment was euphoric! But very quickly the next step was in front of me—how to get my work published?
I had always thought that writing a book was the hard part…little did I know that the hardest part was yet to come—publishing it, and harder still, selling it.
I began researching how to get my book published. I studied the pros and cons of traditional publishing versus self-publishing, and came to the conclusion that the traditional route was the way for me. So again, I did my research. I gathered the names of every literary agent, editor, and publisher whom I thought might be interested in my work, and I reached out to them. I waited with excitement for the offers to start pouring in. Well, letters started pouring in, but to my dismay, they weren’t offers to publish my manuscript. They were rejection letters.
Let me tell you, rejection really hurts!
“Did they really read my story?” I had wondered. “If they did, how could they have possibly turned me down?” That was the question I asked myself over and over, month after month as new rejection letters flooded into both my mailbox and inbox. Some were standard form letters with a generic let down, but some were personalized, stating hurtful words that temporarily halted my dream.
There’s a saying, “You haven’t loved until you’ve had your heart broken.” Well, you’re not a writer until you get your first rejection letter (or your first bad review, but that’s a discussion for another time). I basked in the grayness of a short-lived pity party, then I bounced back into action because I knew I had a few things on my side that beat rejection every time: belief, determination, perseverance, and faith!
I had spent long days and sleepless nights creating my characters and crafting their story. I believed in them. And I believed that if I could just get my book published, despite what had been said, someone would buy it. And if someone bought it they would read it and like it. And if they liked it they’d tell a friend, and that friend would tell another friend, and voila! I’d have a winner on my hands. I was determined to see my book in print, so I realigned my mission and set my sights on self-publishing.
Again, I did my research. I scoured the Internet for information. I purchased books to learn all I could about best practices and new industry trends. I attended workshops, seminars, book festivals, and literary conferences. I reached out to other authors and industry professionals. And most importantly, I developed a plan for publishing my book, complete with time sensitive tasks that I diligently followed. I set aside money from my paycheck every month and assembled a team of professionals who could help me execute my publishing plan. Finally, after nearly three years of preparation, I resigned from my job and started my own publishing company, Platinum Books, and released Unexpected Interruptions!
Just as I’ll never forget the day I started writing my first book, I’ll never forget that chilly Tuesday afternoon in October 2007, when my books arrived at my doorstep, hot from the printer. Holding the finished product in my hand was euphoric! But again, the next step was staring me in the face—how would I sell the book?
I had done a modest print run of 2,500 copies, and through marketing and pre-promotion efforts I managed to pre-sell 1,000 books before the novel was released (NOTE: this was before e-books really took off). Next, my goal was to sell the other 1,500 books and go from there. I contacted as many people as I could who had pre-ordered directly through my website and asked for their feedback. If they enjoyed the book, I asked them to please spread the word for me. Now this is where perseverance and having a plan paid off. I hit the road on a book tour that I had organized months in advance. My corporate sponsor, GODIVA Chocolatier (the main character in my book loved GODIVA, so I approached them about sponsoring a few of my signings), provided treats at some of my events that enticed readers to come out and join me. In less than thirty days I had sold all my books and was placing an order for another print run.
Unexpected Interruptions, went on to garner praise from readers and literary reviewers across the country. It also won two literary awards and topped several bookstore bestseller lists.
Three years and two additional books later, I was approached by Kensington Publishing Corp. (Dafina Books) to purchase the publishing rights for all three of my originally self-published titles. Kensington will re-release each of my books, providing broader distribution that will allow me to reach a much larger readership. My debut novel, Unexpected Interruptions, was re-released March 29, 2011, and received a starred review from Publishers Weekly! I was so excited, and the amazing thing was that Kensington did not change my story; even the cover art remained the same. Yes, the same book that everyone had turned down now received a nod from an industry giant. The faith I had in my work led me down a bumpy road that turned into a wonderful journey; one in which I wouldn’t change a thing!
Tips for Aspiring Writers1. Read—Reading is critical to the writing process. It broadens the mind and expands your creativity. I don’t know any good writers who aren’t avid readers. 2. Study the craft—Writing is an art form. Study it. Practice it. Take classes.3. Write every day—There are times when this won’t be possible, but if you endeavor to write something every day (it could be a sentence, a paragraph, or a couple of pages) you will complete your book before you know it. You will also become a better writer because you will improve with practice.4. Tell a good story—Develop your characters and craft your storyline so that readers will be interested in what you have to say. Make sure that your beginning, middle, and end flow into one seamless, page-turning tale!
Publishing Tips:Whether you decide to self-publish or go the traditional route, here are some helpful tips.
Research, research, research. I can’t stress how important it is to arm yourself with as much information as possible. Don’t rely on other authors to hold your hand through the process or tell you what to do to get your book published. Every writer’s journey is different, so chart a path that works for you. Network, network, network. Attend book conferences and literary events. These venues are great opportunities to meet readers, authors, and industry professionals who can prove to be valuable assets as you build your career.Develop a plan and execute it. Be sure to include a realistic time line and budget to support a successful book campaign (again, do this whether you are traditionally or self-published).  Know your target audience. If you think your book is for everyone, you’re wrong! Dead wrong! Define your primary audience, i.e.; age, profession, gender, socio-economic demographic, interests, etc. Once you have defined your target audience, determine their book buying habits and make sure your book is available to them in the format they desire. Do your readers purchase books at book festivals, conferences, or other literary events? Do they buy in stores, on-line, or through e-reading devices?
To learn more about Trice and her books, please visit her website at www.tricehickman.com. If you’re interested in taking your first step toward becoming a published author, please contact Trice for a one-on-one coaching session by clicking on the Writer’s Corner page on her site.
You can also connect with Trice at:www.facebook.com/tricehickmanwww.twitter.com/tricehickmanwww.linkedin.com/tricehickman

Pretty cool, huh? So drop by Trice's web site and say hi.

DB