A.R. Braun's Blog, page 6

So It Can Be Done!

 

I’ve been wondering lately if a great vampire novel could be written, the way it’s been way-past-overdone and made duechey by all these romantic vampires lately. I decided a while ago that even writing a book about vamps was useless after what’s been done to them. Usually, I don’t even want to see a book with vampires as the subject.  To say the topic’s been beaten like a dead horse would be putting it mildly.

 

Then I started F. Paul Wilson’s Midnight Mass.  What do you know, it’s possible. He hearkened back to great vampire stories like ‘Salem’s Lot and penned one to counteract all these wimpy tales as of late. And you know what? He really makes you believe it and feel it. You forget your life for a while and get busy living with an intense feeling of dread.

 

I still don’t want to write a vampire novel, though. I don’t think most authors could pull it off. I’ve read little more than one that was even good, but not great. Of course it seems that everyone and their mother is trying anyway. I say more power to you if you can do it. I just don’t see many successful attempts. But to be the antidote to this ridiculous trend of lily-white vamps is a noble undertaking, no doubt about it.

 

You rock, Mr. Wilson!

Much Ado About (Mostly) Nothing

So many people have told me that I need the perfect book cover; that an author has to be flawless, never making mistakes; that the website has to be perfect; and the book trailer must be amazing. For so long, I completely believed these statements. I did my damnedest to make sure I had the best cover my money could buy. I tried to never be in error with my attitude (which, sometimes, I was). I made an effort to make sure the website did 1,000 things, like wizardry. I did my best to make an excellent book trailer. I’m even considering hiring someone to make the next book trailer because everyone didn’t love mine.

 

Then I asked myself if any of these things influenced why I buy books. I found that none of the rules applied.

 

I’m not crazy about the cover to Coffin County by Gary A. Braunbeck, but it’s one of my favorite books. The Girl in the Basement by Ray Garton, though an amazing novel, has no cover, if you ask me. I can’t figure out what that picture’s supposed to be. I added one of my favorite authors to my Facebook page, and he acted like the Antichrist, but I still buy all of his books because, in my opinion, there aren’t many great authors (although there may be many good and average writers). I hardly ever look at authors’ websites, and if I do, it doesn’t influence whether I buy the book. And I’ve never bought a novel because of a book trailer. In fact when I first heard there were book trailers, I thought it was the silliest thing I’ve ever heard in my life (lately I’ve warmed up to them … a little bit).

 

I’m not saying these “rules” aren’t important. Of course as professional authors we should do our best to be excellent at every aspect of our careers. I just think some people put too much importance on them.

 

In the end, all that matters is that the story is incredible. That, in a nutshell, is an author’s job.

Open Your Eyes

I can’t believe, after the successes of J. A. Konrath and Ania Ahlborn (the latter an author who writes horror exclusively and outsold King on the Amazon horror charts, then had an agent after her till she wouldn’t give him the electronic rights), that there’s still a stigma against self-publishing. The more good indie authors with excellent presentations I seek, the more I find, lately Claire Farrell (her two short-story books are, to me, horror) and J. C. Martin. How many good indie books will have to come out before some people admit that all self-published books don’t suck?

 

And of course we all know how much being published shows how talented an author is (more like how trendy): that’s why Twilight went through the roof, a ridiculous tale of a girl who can’t even walk and a “vampire” that glitters and is “boyfriend material.” Or how about John Saul, picking on children to get his scares? Or V. C. Andrews doing something very similar?

 

I read agent blogs, and for all the people out there that think self-publishing is “fake,” more than one agent was excited about Konrath’s success because they know they can’t sell every book authors query about, even though they might like their novels (or short-story books). So, by their own admission, good books get turned down all the time. What are these writers supposed to do about that, give up?

 

And then there’s the “wonderful assurance” that your published book will be out … in two years. Christ, will the author’s idea still be relevant by then, or will another writer have had a similar idea (great minds think alike) and have ran with it?

 

Stop pushing the lie.

Always Be Professional

Writing, like anything else, is a business, and a lot of time it’s not what you know, but who you know. So why ruin it with an unprofessional attitude? Agents and editors will talk, the grapevine will get around, and you’ll be shut down, forced to start your own magazine online to publish your own stories. This is akin to publishing tales on your blog, which anyone can do. With all the competition, why make it harder for yourself? And, if you’re schizophrenic, but you’re a Christian who goes to church because it helps you manage your illness, act like it’s helping you manage it. You’re supposed to be doing better, not putting people down. It’s not all right to go off online if you’re 100% healthy, either.

 

Some horror authors will tell you, “Go ahead and say it, you’re a horror writer,” but when you lose the magazine publication because you ran your mouth about the editor, you’ll know they’re wrong. Mess with the editor of a magazine who published your story? Burn your house down before you do that, it’s smarter (I, of course, am not telling anyone to burn down their house; it’s a metaphor). Besides, going off on the Internet is so chicken. It’s virtual guts. Anyone can hide behind their computer and mess with people (or put up hate videos).

 

Once the word’s out about spreading your hate, it’s hard to get anyone in the business to trust you again. And why should a editor with a legitimate book company? Or an agent? Or anyone.

 

Sometimes, it’s more important to grow up than to get even. On the Internet, the fight could last forever, instead of your career.

My Experience With Self-Publishing a Novel

 

I’ve just published my short-story book, Horrorbook, on Amazon, which should go live at 5:30 a.m. Central time July 5. It was a huge pain in the ass to go over it and over it to get it right. The .mobi didn’t want to work, but thank God the .ePub did! Whew! About drove myself insane putting this thing up.

 

The reason I put out the first short-story book (there’ll be two) is because I didn’t want ya’ll to have to wait forever to be able to purchase a book by me. Also, I’ve been a full-time author six years come the last week of November 2013, and it would’ve been embarrassing not having a book. I’m going to have to wait to publish the novel till next year because it’s still being critiqued. Actually, there were two novels before the one I’m speaking of, but they were too taboo to self-publish without your truly getting arrested…maybe. I’m not for sure on that because I was subtle with the sex scenes, but one never knows. I know one thing: I’m not going to jail over a damned book. The five books I wrote when I was a newbie writer and a devil worshiper were bitter, putting it mildly, and perverted. So, scrapola.

 

It was important to me not to take a shitty deal with a small publisher for my ten serious novels, as well as the two short-story books, the novella, and the long short story. Really, an author has a right to be paid for his hard work. So, onwards and hopefully not downwards!

 

Seven of the short stories in the first book were published, but who cares what’s published (not me)? Mostly, big-deal industry personnel prefer trends and crap–especially agents–and putting out a high-quality book for a low price is important to me. More bang for your buck! It won’t be long before I lower the price to .99 instead of the $2.99 they made me start at, at least in America. I’ve found I’ve bought many books that were .99 when I didn’t have the money for a novel. These are titles I otherwise never would’ve discovered, and many of them–though self-published–were high quality. Power to the people!

 

Enjoy, constant and dear readers.