Steven A. McKay's Blog, page 62

The Wolf and The Raven

The planned title for the sequel to Wolf’s Head….

42,000 words and counting.

Sandwiched by Bernard Cornwell!

How amazing is this? My self-published debut novel, sandwiched (well, just about – he’s at 2, 5 and 6, I’m at 4) between Bernard Cornwell’s best-sellers!

And, to make the day even better, I had two new 5 star reviews on Amazon UK and another 5 star review on Amazon US.

Another local paper article (Lennox Herald, Dumbarton)

Apparently I’m a security guard (I do work for G4S but not as a security guard).

Anyway, can’t complain, it’s more great free publicity!

Cheers!

Another local paper article

Apparently I’m a security guard (I do work for G4S but not as a security guard).

Anyway, can’t complain, it’s more great free publicity!

Cheers!

Wolf’s Head is now Amazon only.

The book has been available for just under a month now, and in that time I’ve sold a grand total of 7 copies on Smashwords, which includes sales on Apple, Sony, Nook, Kobo, Barnes&Noble etc. And of those 7, I actually bought 4 of them as gifts or competition prizes for people!  So, on all those outlets, I sold 3 to buyers.

And now, I’ve just noticed I must be selling some books via Amazon in countries like Ireland or Mexico where Amazon only give the author 35% royalties UNLESS THEY SELL THEIR BOOK EXCLUSIVELY ON AMAZON.

After doing the sums, and realizing I’ve sold more than 3 books in those countries through Amazon’s Kindle, I calculated it’s not worth it to carry on with Smashwords. So I’m going to sign up for Amazon’s Kindle Select program. This means Wolf’s Head will only be available on Kindle or paperback.

I would apologize to readers that don’t use Amazon, but from what I’m seeing, that’s almost NO-ONE!

I’d be interested to know what people think of this move, but, on this evidence, I really can’t see any reason NOT to go exclusively with Amazon.

Nice free advertising!

Forestry Commission internal magazine clipping

A Reader again (if only for a while!)

I’ve been away on holiday the past week. No laptop. Limited internet access. No blogs to write and not much chance to promote Wolf’s Head (although I tried my best!).

Instead, I spent the week relaxing with my family and, when I got the chance I had some quality time with a couple of books. For the first time in a while, I was able to sit down and completely lose myself in someone else’s creation with no distractions.

I still don’t really think of myself as a “writer” - Wolf’s Head has only been available for three weeks after all – but it was nice to become a simple reader again, with nothing to worry about other than my enjoyment of the books I’d chosen for the week.

Douglas Jackson’s hardback Avenger of Rome, the third in a truly fantastic series from a fellow Scotsman was my first pick, while new young author Jeremy Han’s The Emperor’s Prey was the second, on my Kindle app. I would read Doug’s until the wife and daughter said it was time to put the lights out, then I’d fire up the Kindle and read Jeremy’s in the dark until I fell asleep.

I said earlier it was nice to just be a reader again, rather than a writer, but even as I lost myself – first on Doug’s endangered Roman ship, and then in Jeremy’s 15th century China – my mind was working out how to write reviews for these two cracking books…

So much for being purely a reader. Maybe I can’t escape the writer’s mindset after all, but it’ll be nice to write about someone else’s world for a change!

Jeremy Han’s The Emperor’s Prey: http://www.amazon.com/The-Emperors-Prey-ebook/dp/B009HJBR3Y

Douglas Jackson’s Avenger of Rome: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Avenger-Gaius-Valerius-Verrens-ebook/dp/B0088474QS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374960750&sr=1-1&keywords=avenger+of+rome

Amazon charts

Shooting up the charts!

Writing music

Do authors write in silence? Maybe some do, but I think most need some kind of sound in the background as they type. Silence is deafening after all.

I’m a lifelong heavy metal fan – if I wasn’t quite bald and my wife would let me grow my hair I’d probably look like Lemmy. Only uglier.

Yet even Motorhead is, for me, useless as writing music. The problem is, anything with a simple beat and a catchy melody soon detracts from your muse – I end up wanting to pick up a guitar or a bass and sing along to “Ace of Spades”, Maiden’s “Run To The Hills” or even Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” rather than write about Robin Hood and the Hospitaller knights.

I figured it out when I was studying for my Bachelor of Arts degree – simple 4/4 music is distracting: what you need is almost white noise.

I finished my degree, and completed Wolf’s Head by listening to what most people would consider un-listenable bollocks. It’s not catchy, it doesn’t have layered choruses or big hooks. It’s not “Livin’ On A Prayer” or “Sweet Child O’ Mine”. But if you’re a writer, it’ll keep your mind nicely engaged, while allowing you to get on with the task at hand!

Here’s some examples of what I’ve been listening to – click, and WRITE!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLNL-UK_OIo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZYa5-LWAYQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3J6qWnBlJA

Wolf’s Head now available on Nook!

At last, Wolf’s Head is on Barnes & Noble’s Nook format. Get it here!

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wolfs-head-steven-a-mckay/1116058816?ean=2940044629486